In the Desert
by Qt-chan
Summary: Usagi had been abandoned by her childhood friend who'd left her with a single kiss in remembrance...Years later he comes back for her, but what can he do when his murderous and more or less demonic friends seek her love too?
1. Default Chapter

Akbar –by Qt~chan  
  
Chapter 1 Akbar was consumed by flames; it would never be raised up from its ashes again. Greasy smoke and even greasier people poured from out of the smoldering rubble to escape the dead citadel. Column by column of smoke chugged up and covered the waxy night sky. One of the last citadels in the desert had been destroyed. Victory was almost theirs. It made Usagi's eyes fill with tears.  
  
"My people..." She murmured. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she trembled with the agony of the injustice that had been done.  
  
"You'll be alright Usagi."  
  
Usagi gave a stifled sob before she threw herself onto Cat. "Oh Cat! What're we going to do? I'm so scared and we're all alone!"  
  
Cat smiled distantly as he stared out into the burning wreckage before him. "You know, it's a shame that OZ had to find this city...it was the last good hideout for me and the others."  
  
Usagi stared mournfully into Cat's face, "I don't know what you're talking about." She burst into tears and buried her face in his neck. Quatre, Cat to Usagi, hugged her tightly; giving her what little comfort he could. Quatre's filmed eyes jumped into focus when he heard the clink of his chains. Even as he held Usagi he could feel them, the cold metal links. Letting loose the breath that he had been holding he nudged Usagi's chin up. "We've been friends since we were little, haven't we Usagi?" He asked her softly.  
  
Usagi mournfully nodded her head up and down, causing her tears to fly everywhere. Quatre gently took Usagi's chained hands in his, "And friends forgive don't they?" He asked even softer. Usagi stared at Quatre in growing apprehension but answered, "Yes, they do."  
  
"Then forgive me for this." He whispered into her ear. Reaching into his finely tailored pants pocket he produced a thin metal file. Jamming it into the lock on his cuffs he freed himself from the massive cuffs in a matter of seconds and slipped away. Usagi stared at the space where Cat had disappeared. Disbelief drained her face of color. Only minutes later the chain that ran through her cuffs, jerked abruptly and became taut. Usagi's chilled hands immediately grabbed up Quatre's empty cuffs to feel their fading warmth. Her abrupt movement caught the wary eye of a soldier near her.  
  
"Hey! What're you doing?" There was a sharp chinking sound as the OZ soldier snapped the collected chains out of Usagi's hand. "One of the captives escaped Corporal!" He yelled out.  
  
Usagi stared into the growing gloom, he had left her all alone, for good maybe. Her tears were refreshed with this new injury. Holding herself tightly she hoped that she could squeeze the pain out of herself. "Oh shut up!" The soldier snapped as he yanked her chains roughly.  
  
"Would you stop that?" The corporal snapped out coldly. The soldier grimaced but did as he was told. The elder man stared at Usagi, "Well little girl. Do you know where this man went?" He pierced Usagi with his stony gaze.  
  
Usagi stared at the corporal for only a moment before shaking her head violently. Her heart was pounding fiercely ing her chest. Usagi knew she was strong enough to defeat the feeling of anger at Cat for being left behind. She was too strong for the black fury that would have encompassed her otherwise. Clenching her cuffs she glared with tearing eyes at the two OZ soldiers. The corporal snorted in derision, "Have it your way then. One slave doesn't matter. Move 'em on out!" The corporal shouted. With a sharp tug the slave chain was yanked forwards. Usagi stumbled along with the rest of the children and adults.  
  
The light of the moon was veiled in clouds and the stars gave little light on the sad procession. The villagers, all slaves now, stumbled forwards in their grief. Businesses, families, lives, everything, had been lost to the ruthless OZ. The weariness that only the desert people's experienced, from living too many days in heat that entered your mouth and parched it, descended on them like a vulture. The weariness came from one too many days of blistering heat and tyrannical rule. And now their gift of freedom had been stolen from them. The cold sand was kicked contemptuously by the slaves as they were marched to their doom. The desert had never been kind to them.  
  
But as they marched they could feel a familiar pulse in the sand. Usagi, and everyone else on that chain, knew what the drumming vibrations in the sand meant. Tingling emotions nearly froze the slaves in their places when they felt the four-beat drumming of paws against the sand. Thank all the gods that the damn OZ soldiers were wearing hard-bottomed boots. The whirring sound of a blade flying through the air made Usagi turn her head. A familiar looking curved blade hurtled through the air and gave a soft thunk as it struck a soldier in the back of the head. The slaves kept trudging steadily forwards, this was their chance to escape. Arrows hissed through the air, nearly silent as they struck their targets. There were only a few soldiers left and the slaves trembled in anticipation.  
  
Usagi turned her head just slightly to see a man, who she knew was Cat, fling back his black cloak to quickly wrench free his crossbow. The trudging peoples murmured praises and prayers to the Hurda as he flew by them on his Dewolf. But then, his arrow missed its mark by a mere few inches and the soldier fell with a cry. The remaining militia swerved around and grabbed for their weapons. At a surprisingly fast speed, the soldiers had formed ranks. They shot their crossbows at the oncoming menace with deft precision.  
  
Cat leapt from his wolf's back and felt the tug of his cloak being ripped away by the flying arrows. He had only just touched the ground in landing before he was on the move again. In a single smooth movement, he pulled his saber from its sash and relieved an OZ soldier of his upper body. He was lightning fast. Rolling and running he slashed another soldier in the face. The corporal saw the oncoming danger and realized that the slaves had mutely cooperated with the approaching Hurda. The corporal spat on the slave nearest him and lifted his sword into the air. Muttering incantations he swiped his sword in the air and a blue arc of magic was whipped from the blade and soared forwards. The Hurda's sea-blue eyes glinted in the dark. With a single, muffled word he bent to one knee and lifted his sword into a guarding position. The blue arc of magic broke on the Hurda's blade and he didn't waste a second in hurling his blade forwards. It plunged into the Corporal's forehead. A spurt of blood flew through the air and hit the sand.  
  
The slave at the lead of the chain darted forwards and grabbed the keys that hung dangling from the Corporal's belt. The slaves pushed and pulled themselves so that they could grab the keys and free themselves. 'We're saved', they thought. But a few of the slaves pulled away from the keys and cried "Fools, Fools!" At the top of their lungs. The Hurda r was near one of the men who was crying these words and struck him dead.  
  
The slaves stopped in astonishment, gasping and screaming at the slaughter of one of their own. "Cat!" Usagi gasped in astonishment. Cat ignored Usagi, "Those who are ungrateful for being saved from the harsh whip and torment of the OZ overlords should walk no other path then the one I gave this man..." His eyes darted around, challenging all the Akbarians, "I released you from OZ temporarily but they will try to find you. You should all try to find some safe place away from Akbar."  
  
"Why can't we stay in our home?" A man asked indignantly.  
  
"You don't know how strong we are, we could hold out at Akbar if we wanted to!" Another rejoined.  
  
Cat sheathed his blade and whistled, ignoring the cries of his former townspeople. The hot drumming of paws on the sand made everyone fall silent. The large, hulking form of the Dewolf flew through the shadows like a bird and came to a halt next to its master. The wolf was lean and blotched brown, a desert wolf. The Dewolf had massive leathery wings that were held together over its back by hooked claws on the shoulder of his wing. The Dewolf had unusually large ears and feet, the only organs that allowed the Dewolf to defeat the sizzling desert year after year. Cat had to stretch just to scratch the underside of the creature's jaw it was so massive. Looking harshly at the villagers Cat spoke, "You must run to the neighboring village Hatsu and find quick friends there. OZ will be looking for all of you."  
  
The panic spread through the villagers in a flash.  
  
"Give me the keys you wench!"  
  
"Give me them!"  
  
"I have children here, let them go first!"  
  
"Hurry! The OZ soldiers will come any moment!"  
  
Cat strode down the line of fighting, clawing slaves and found Usagi. With a single word from his lips he moved his hand over her cuffs and they fell from her wrists. She rushed into his waiting arms, "I thought you had left me."  
  
"I'm going to..." Cat whispered, as he drew down the black cloth that covered his mouth. Usagi chewed on her lips, "Why do you have to leave me all alone? I can fight."  
  
"You can't go where I'm going. It would be safer for you to go with the villagers." A shock of Cat's bleached-blonde hair peaked from under the black hood. Usagi brushed it aside, the sting of his words made her insides ache. Usagi clutched Cat's arms, "Please let me go!" She pleaded.  
  
Cat's eyebrows furrowed together, "I must leave...just remember me by Quatre, not Cat." He said firmly.  
  
"Quatre?" Usagi murmured the strange foreign name without relish, "But what does it mea," Quatre tipped her chin upwards and kissed her, not letting her finish. He poured years of love into the single embrace before he hurriedly lifted the black cloth up again to hide his burning lips. Grabbing his Dewolf by the scruff of the neck, he pulled himself upwards and they shot forwards like an arrow; leaving her, and everything, behind.  
  
"Quatre..." She called softly, "I will remember."  
  
~~~~~~Review please!!~~~~~~~ 


	2. Mamoru

Akbar  
  
Chapter 2 Usagi sighed in pleasure. Tapered hands ran up and down her back with practiced ease. "It's time to wake up Buns." Opening her mouth she let out a huge yawn. Blinking one eye open and then the other she stared into his eyes. They smiled at her, twinkling with light. "Far past time to wake up, as a matter of fact." He grumbled into her ear. Usagi laughed, "I know the feeling." Slowly, very slowly, she rolled out of his warm embrace and out of the bed. Looking around at what most would call a desert hovel, she felt a blissful glow enter her cheeks.  
  
The rocky cliffs and mountains that peppered the Akbarian desert was literally all the shelter that the desert people had left to them. The desert inhabitants would carve away at their rocky surroundings to make their own, wind-proof homes. Many years of hard work had gone into shaping the room she stood in now. Odd chunks of rock still stuck out from the wall here and there but she wasn't bothered by those small imperfections. The striated walls were beautiful by themselves, not that they even had the money to buy anything to decorate it with anyway. Their crudely made bed was separated from the kitchen and children's beds by a simple, raggedy gray cloth that was hung onto rings in the ceiling. There was only one window and it was right above their bed. It hardly gave any light to the room however, since desert scrub had been planted right in front of it as a means of concealing the simple home. The door, which was in their room, was made of thick wood and creaked loudly whenever it was opened. But all of this didn't matter to Usagi. The only things that did, were the four sleeping children on the other side of the curtain, and the man beside her.  
  
All five of them had made her joyously happy for the last four years.  
  
Dressing quickly so she could avoid the morning chill she reached for the curtain's edge. Before her hands could draw the curtain aside, they were gently pulled away. Rolling her eyes, Usagi looked at him with annoyance. "If I want to get water for us to drink I have to go now before it gets too hot." When he still didn't let her go she tried to tug away, "C'mon Mamoru, let me go...or better yet, come with me." She said teasingly. Mamoru shook his head in exasperation, "You always were a teaser Bunny."  
  
Usagi stuck her tongue out, "I don't mean to be." She pouted beautifully. Mamoru bent to kiss her full lips. Pulling her back to the bed he told her to sit, "It'll only be a second or two, I promise." He said. Usagi frowned as she waited; Mamoru had been acting strangely all week. Pulling something out from his pocket he handed it to Usagi. "Here you go Bunny."  
  
Usagi gasped and then gasped again. "Mamoru!" She nearly squealed, "Where did you get this? Did you make this?" She asked in amazement. At the question Mamoru started to laugh, "Make that! Usagi, I couldn't whittle a stick if I wanted to." He said, still laughing. Usagi turned the beautifully polished, minute, red box over and over in her hands. The smoothly cut designs made Usagi 'oooh' and 'aaah' repeatedly as she examined all its six sides. The carvings were beyond magnificent.  
  
On the box that was so small that it barely took up a third of Usagi's palm, there were clear pictures of a forest teeming with deer, birds, and other forest creatures on one of the boxes' six faces. On another side there were was an ocean filled with life, the next side had the sky full of all its powerful stirring winds and rains. Another face of the box held the steam and vibrancy of the jungle. And the side that Usagi kept returning to was a detailed picture of the vast emptiness of the desert. The lid of the small box, however, was the most beautiful side; the smooth lettering that rolled from one word to the next was perfect and beautiful. The words were written in the shape of a heart. The organ was crowned and radiating light on tiny people that were in the background.  
  
Usagi's eyes were glowing in delight, "This is beautiful. Where'd you say you got this?"  
  
"I didn't." Mamoru said simply, he had bent to one knee on front of her, "I stole it from OZ."  
  
Usagi immediately stopped admiring the box, "You did what?"  
  
Mamoru sighed, "How did you think I got that flour from town? It wasn't by begging, nobody has any extra food for beggars Bunny."  
  
"Still...Do you know how dangerous they've become? I hear that they've begun enlisting all the desert wraiths as part of their army! Mamoru! What were you thinking! They could track it right back here and, and, kill us all in our sleep!" She said in a whisper, the ears next door were very sharp. Mamoru shook his head, "Do you remember that legion of OZ soldiers that came by here a few days ago?"  
  
Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were up to something but when you returned empty handed I had assumed you hadn't done anything. You had told me your stealing days were over. I can't believe you did this."  
  
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not letting you or those orphans die from hunger. We weren't going to get any food from sympathetic townspeople Bunny! They're all just has hungry as we are. No, I took from those damn OZ soldiers like they took from us. Taking our food and our homes, safety for our lives. No, this small token is something they can suffer." Mamoru said shortly, he was angry now, reliving all of the injustices that he had suffered.  
  
"Mamoru, look at it! It's probably beyond any treasure they had, it's probably very precious to them and you stole it! Return it now!"  
  
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not throwing my life away just yet. Besides, the box was thrown in with a bunch of glittering trinkets so that they won't even miss it, I promise you Usagi. Your safety was the first thing on my mind when I stole it."  
  
Usagi had to laugh at the comment, "I'm sure it was..." Sighing she handed it to Mamoru, "What're you going to do with it though?"  
  
Mamoru grinned impishly, opening the box so that Usagi couldn't see its contents, he took both her hands. Licking his lips hesitantly, he turned the box around and handed it to Usagi. "Bunny, will you marry me?"  
  
Usagi's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the glittering jewel. "It's not even a ring." She said, trying to hold her crumbling composure. Mamoru gently squeezed Usagi's hands, "I was hoping it wouldn't matter." Usagi sniffed and smiled, "Oh Mamoru..." Her lips trembled with the words that were about to spill from them.  
  
"I can't." She said finally. Mamoru looked as if he had been anticipating her answer, "Usagi," he said, no longer using her nick-name, "You once said to me, four years ago, that you were waiting for this man. This man, that you loved. But," Mamoru took a breath and tightened his hold on her hands, "He's been gone now for four years and I have loved you faithfully from the day that you came to me. If not for love Usagi, marry me because I am your only safety."  
  
Usagi couldn't say no, if you weren't married in the great city of OZ-where the family had to go every few weeks to get food-then any OZ soldier could claim you as a loyal servant of OZ and take you away with him. That was why child marriages had started in the towns, and now, in the scattered villages.  
  
"Mamoru, I will take this ring and marry you but please..." Usagi searched for the words, "Please understand that I'm trying to forget him, but it's hard." She searched his face for understanding, acknowledgement, and maybe even, some anger at her loyalty to Cat.  
  
Mamoru couldn't understand how she could still be attached, or even remember, this man from four years ago but he obediently nodded his head. "I understand. Now, take the jewel out." He said with forced cheer. Usagi eagerly did so. When she tipped the box forwards and let the jewel fall into her hand, she was surprised by its weight. The diamond was like none she had ever seen. Cut in the shape of a rose bud that had just bloomed, it was resplendent, even in the dismal light of the room. The petals of the rose were clouded but in the very center of the rose was a clear crystal face. Small as it was, about the size of a decent-sized brooch, it was still an unimaginable fortune, even the box.  
  
Mamoru took her hands and covered the crystal from both their eyes, "You mustn't tell anyone about this, I have a more modest ring for you to wear in town, but this is what I wanted your ring to really be like." He said softly to her.  
  
Usagi shook her head in exasperation at Mamoru's lack of understanding her, before she threw herself at Mamoru, "It doesn't matter...all that matters is that we're...married!" Usagi couldn't stop herself from grinning. She had been waiting for Cat for four years, and still had been waiting...that is until Mamoru had asked for her hand in marriage. She had stopped waiting then, it was time to move on.  
  
The morning passed as a happy blur. Even as she trudged out to the well in the blazing heat she was smiling. Weeks, then months, and then a year passed like this. Usagi would now and then gaze at the crystal lovingly, but there were so many things that were more interesting to do than stare at the crystal. Cat, Quatre, had fallen into the past like he should have long ago. Soon, she expected, she and Mamoru were going to escape from their four adopted children and have a dream-like night together. The hope made her flush at the oddest of times, but it was a pleasant dream that tangled her and Mamoru closer together. On days were she would have to go to the city, she would carry the crystal inside it's box with her to the marketplace; she and Mamoru knew that someday a price would be too high for something that they would desperately need, and the crystal, or the box, would save them at that time. Usagi had just started to make routine errands to the city now that Mamoru was spending his time on widening their home to twice its size.  
  
Walking into the thriving city she became refreshed from the desert's heat by the sound of hundred's of lively voices echoing on the white-washed walls. The merchants' and vender's shaded their stands with beautiful rugs and twined multicolored streamers on their stands. Each merchant knew that appearance, in business, meant everything. The shops were regularly perfumed in delicate scents, and sometimes, the richer shops were able to afford a street urchin to fan away the flies for a day or so. Usagi carried the steadily growing weight of her wicker baskets with renewed ease. Walking through the crowded street she became aware of a clamoring sound to her right.  
  
The large crowd of people drew her attention almost instantly from all the other merchants. The crowd was different from the usual masses that she saw, they were really trying everything in their power to get to the front of the booth so that they could buy his goods. She was shocked when she saw one man punch another to get farther into the crowd. She, like a few others, hurried away from the thickening crowd. The mob swiftly slipped from her mind as she bargained for food, cloth, tools, and finally, a burro. Mamoru had decided to buy a wedding present for themselves with their collected money and get a burro. The burro would be more than handy on their little farm, it could virtually be a lifesaver, and they needed plenty of those. As Usagi was looking some burro's over she scolded herself for not listening to Mamoru more closely. The burro's all looked the same, how was she supposed to tell the difference between which one would be better suited for their needs.  
  
"Excuse me Mrs., but is there a certain kind of mule you're looking for?"  
  
Usagi smiled at the merchant, she knew that all merchant's were liars and she knew this one was no exception. "I want the best burro here." She said. The merchant looked her over before gesturing to a small, dinky beast standing in the corner of his corral. "This burro would most likely be best suited for you most beautiful lady. He would most certainly bless your generous home with wealth. He is a hard worker and will be bought for a mere 250 rupees."  
  
Usagi wasn't astounded by the flowery language the merchant used, all of them did, but was staggered by the price, two hundred and fifty for a little animal that hardly reached to her shoulder! Her hand had, without her knowledge, snuck down to the pocket that held the crystal and the box. Gritting her teeth with determination she looked firmly at the merchant. "I am sorry most humble sir, but I am sure there is a better price for this most well-cared-for animal."  
  
"Ah, but milady, this is the king of the corral and would be gentle with your children, yes? This animal, most humbly said milady, would be able to pull any plow and will waste away in my corral."  
  
Usagi stiffened, stubborn merchant. "I will buy the burro for one hundred rupees most wise burro merchant." She said. The merchant sighed, "What a price for such a wonderful beast. You can buy, lucky mistress, my other Burro, Sanza for that price." Usagi glanced at the animal the merchant was pointing at and felt her cheeks redden. The burro's head just reached above her waist and it was obviously unfit to do any more work than carry a basket of flowers on its back. "Most wise merchant," Usagi said, smiling prettily, "I'm sure that the merchant across from you will give me a burro for half as much as you are asking for the burro you first showed me." Her face was pleasant but inside she was still annoyed at how stubborn the merchant was being.  
  
The bearded merchant gave a very dirty look to the merchant across the street from him who was also selling burros, before he turned back to Usagi. "I will give you the burro I first pointed out to you o most lovely flower, for the small price of two hundred rupees."  
  
"I will buy the burro for one hundred and fifty rupees and no more." Usagi said just as obstinately.  
  
"Ah, most gracious lady, I will lower my price to one hundred and seventy five rupees but no less or else I am afraid you will have to go to the merchant across from me."  
  
"Fine, I will!" Usagi snapped as she lost her temper. The merchant's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Surely, surely milady would like to buy, from this lowly merchant, the burro for the price of one hundred and fifty five rupees?"  
  
Usagi knew the merchant had added on the extra five rupees just so he could annoy her but she was sure she wouldn't be able to lower the price anymore so she agreed; after she could check to make sure the burro was healthy. Given a roughly-made halter and lead rope she proceeded to make her way out of the market. Glancing back every now and then to the innocuous face of the burro she smiled, it was adorable. On her way out, she spotted the stand that everyone had formerly been fighting over. Because night was near, and nobody stayed in the marketplace nowadays when it was dark, the people had practically deserted the stand. Usagi hesitantly picked her way there; the stand still had people there but not so many now. She saw now, why everyone had been there.  
  
Hanging from the beams of the vender's shop were fresh fish, fish that weren't in any way spoiled or diseased. There were also vegetables at his stand that were actually green, large, and healthy. The food made her mouth water, it had been such a long time since she had seen such large, vividly colored melons or such full shaped tomatoes. Her eyes fell to the shiny apples that lay in a basket on his counter. Without a single thought she waited in line to have some of those apples. She could imagine Mamoru's face upon seeing the crisp apples, something he loved.  
  
By the time Usagi reached the merchant's stand, the sun, which resembled a blazing red eye, had touched the horizon. "Excuse me most generous merchant but I would like that basket of apples."  
  
The merchant stared at Usagi with an intensity that made her nervous. He had a pair of stunning violet eyes that should have belonged to a royal of OZ. Smiling, the merchant reached for a burlap bag. "And, most lovely lady, how many would you like?"  
  
Usagi was temporarily surprised by how audacious he was in flicking his eyes so tantalizingly at her when he said 'lovely'. Gripping the lead rope more tightly in her hands, she collected herself. "Oh most kind merchant, I would like twelve apples."  
  
As the merchant began to gently place the apples in the bag he kept flicking his heavy eyes to her. Usagi decided to distract herself by taking the time to throw her two baskets over her burro's back. Her eyes flew open when the baskets, which were much heavier then she had thought them to be, made her tilt backwards much farther back then she thought humanly possible. On the brink of falling backwards and cracking her skull open, she was saved. The merchant had leaped over the counter and grabbed the baskets out of her hands.  
  
Clutching the proffered hand to steady herself, she gasped when she saw the glinting edge of a weapon under the merchant's cloak. Snatching her hand away from him Usagi eyed the merchant with new eyes. "Excuse me." She said in alarm as she reached forwards to grab the baskets from him. Usagi became even more alarmed when the merchant threw the two wicker baskets over the burro's back. The burro didn't even stir when the pack was thrown over its sturdy back. Usagi gaped and then hastily bowed, "Thank you o most kind merchant for, for,"  
  
"Keeping you from falling and cracking your brains open?" The merchant supplied.  
  
Usagi nodded her head enthusiastically, "Yes, yes. Thank you very much." Reaching into her pocket she was about to give him some rupees when he waved them back.  
  
"If you haven't noticed, I am doing quite fine money wise, milady." He said smoothly. Usagi's cheeks flushed, what was it that made her blush so much around this merchant? He was just fooling with her. With the realization, Usagi huffily took the apples and nearly threw the rupees at him. Firmly pulling her burro along, she ignored the cheeky goodbye from the merchant. Usagi glanced back just as she was about to leave the market and still found him staring at her. Her cheeks filled with blood yet again. Once out of the protective walls that surrounded the citadel she felt the dry wind sear her face with its harshness. The sand was cool under her feet now that the sun had closed its burning eye to the Akbarian desert. Digging her feet into the sand, Usagi relished the unfamiliar cool that seeped through her toes. When her dusty brown burro butted her in the back, she knew it was time to head home.  
  
With a heavy sigh she threw her hood over her head and began her journey home. The burro proved no trouble for her as it pluckily trod along beside her. The stars had been in the sky for no more than an hour or so when Usagi first saw her home. The shifting sands beneath her began to turn to hard ground. In the full light of the moon Usagi could see the shadow of the desert scrub stretching to meet her. Leaving the burro tied to a post outside the door she ran inside, leaving the baskets full of food, behind. "I'm home!" She chimed. The broad smile on her face faded, the cracking of burning logs was her only answer.  
  
"Hello? Anyone home?" She called, as she threw off her dusty cloak. From behind the cloth partition Usagi could see the shifting light of the fire in the next room. Pushing aside the gray curtain she turned her eyes to the fireplace. Her lips fell open and she cried out in horror. Running forwards, she sank to the floor, next to Mamoru. Her hands had barely touched his iced skin before she pulled them away. Covering her face she wept from the terrific pain that was clutching her. Staggering away from his body that was framed by blood, her misted eyes turned to the children's bed. Moaning she went to them. She touched each of their soft, chilled cheeks. She would never again hear their sweet voices or feel their puffing breathes against her neck.  
  
Uttering another soft sob she lifted the blankets to cover their faces, they had been slaughtered in their sleep. Clutching her shoulders she stared at Mamoru, "What am I supposed to do without all of you?" She said to him, shedding more tears. Tearing aside the curtain she threw it over her lifeless husband's body. Stumbling to her cloak she fell on top of it. Sobbing and screaming into the bed where she had lain with Mamoru just that morning, she felt the hard lump of the box. Her eyes grew hard and she was seized with a fit of anger. "It's because of that cursed diamond!" She hissed. Swiping the tears from her face she dove into the cloak pocket and snatched the box up. Usagi unrolled the cloth that held the box with itching fingers. Opening it, she stared at the crystal, which lay glittering in its case, with such hatred that her body trembled with it. Walking to the fire she hurled the box and gem into it.  
  
"Damn you and whoever made you!" She screamed in rage. Her mind had time to thrill at the pink hue that had consumed the fire before she was thrown backwards by a wave of magic. Usagi scrambled to her feet and screamed even louder in rage, "Melt and perish like everyone else has!" Opening her turbulent eyes to the blinding light she saw the diamond hurtling towards her. Usagi flung her arms up in protection; her anger had left her and was replaced by an unnerving fear. The gem disappeared in an orb of light that struck Usagi full in the chest. Her breath left her when the burning began in her lungs. Her hand touched the rock wall for support as the fire spread through her body. Feeling the sweat running down her face she panted for breath. Voices and memories were swirling through her mind without control. Mamoru's face flicked in and out of her head. Her heart's erratic beating came to a sudden halt. With a final sigh, she slumped to the floor.  
  
When her azure eyes had rolled back in their sockets, and her body had ceased living, a spear of light burst from her chest. Air swooped into her lungs and her heart began to pump her rich red blood through her veins once more. Her eyelashes fluttered but she remained asleep; even as the stars began to dim out, one by one.  
  
*****************************************  
  
"I saw you looking at that girl this evening." The Hurda said disgustedly. His partner smirked, "You obviously didn't get a good look at her then. She was a natural beauty."  
  
"A married one, and if you didn't notice, she saw your blade. Why don't you put that damn thing away?"  
  
The man he was speaking to, threw off his merchant garb and let his gleaming brown hair loose. "Listen, I didn't touch the girl, just looked at her. There's no harm in that. Shinigami has no problem with it anyway."  
  
"And I fail to see why you would worship a god of death."  
  
"Because chastity and morality have nothing to do with it Wufei." The man declared happily.  
  
Wufei's narrow eyes slid to his partner once again, "Those two things have much to do with death. If I were back on my throne I would order you executed to see how much you liked death, since you worship it so...Duo, what're you doing?" Wufei snapped.  
  
Duo stuck his tongue out at the prince and pulled out his ivory-handled sickle. "Nothing. Jeez, would you watch the damn road instead of me all the time?"  
  
Wufei hissed, Duo immediately reached for his weapon, "Don't do that!"  
  
A forked tongue slipped from between Wufei's white teeth and his two fangs came into full view for Duo. "You can't tell me what to do commoner."  
  
Duo glared at Wufei, "Just because you have a dragon and just because you're a prince and just because you have some dragon blood in you, you think you're the most amazing thing to walk this side of the Earth. Well guess what, I've seen a lot of better things then you walking down these streets and they certainly don't have fangs." He barked back.  
  
Wufei smiled thinly, "I suppose that girl was one of them."  
  
Duo lifted his sickle threateningly.  
  
"Enough. Stop fighting."  
  
The two of them turned their attention to the boy who was crouched in the window. Duo instantly straightened and set his weapon down, "Trowa! It's so nice to have another normal human with me!" Duo said as he shot a look at Wufei. Trowa landed on the floor of the room without a noise, "OZ soldiers headed out of here last night, have they returned yet?"  
  
Wufei shook his head, "No, not yet."  
  
Trowa's eloquent green eyes burned into Duo, "Any word from,"  
  
"No," Duo said, interrupting Trowa, "No word from him yet. But no matter, the three of us can handle matters fine."  
  
"I doubt that."  
  
Duo jumped, "Man, can't you give us any warning before you creep up on us like that Heero?" Heero's terrific midnight-blue eyes stared cynically at Duo, silencing him. Heero turned to Trowa. "Has your family received any word on the crystal?"  
  
"No, my father's doing everything he can to get it back though." Trowa would know, he was second son to the desert's unsympathetic ruler.  
  
"Until Quatre gets back we'll wait it out here. The soldiers have begun to suspect that our attacks are more then just random. We can't let them know we've organized ourselves." Heero said, his husky voice filling the room. "We must, at all costs, remain secret." They all knew that it was a big gamble just to establish themselves as a connected group of Hurda's- warriors of the people. Before the five had met, through Quatre, they had all been loyal to their regions. None of them had cared about the others problems even if the other Hurda's problem happened to be the same as theirs. But times were different now. The habitually reclusive desert people were becoming closer together. They were banding together for support, food, trade, and, to be against OZ. The new OZ-the preceding ones being of a milder sort of government-had grown into more than a pestering regime change, it had become a moving threat.  
  
Wufei nodded his head, his bronze skin reflecting in the moonlight as he sat at the window seat. Duo, who had been nonchalantly braiding his hair the entire time, was finally done. Putting on his black cloak he hooked his sickle back onto his belt. "Well, I'm ready to go for midnight rounds, who wants to come with me?"  
  
Heero silently stripped of his OZ uniform and quickly buttoned on the characteristic black Hurda uniform in its stead. He nodded to the other two Hurda, "We'll be back by dawn."  
  
********************************************  
  
The OZ general shook the girl with a rough sort of urgency, "Wake up!"  
  
When Usagi's blue eyes landed on the general she immediately scrambled away. "Stay away from me." She said warningly.  
  
"Heh, general Zechs, it seems that this commoner thinks she can just speak back to you however she wants." Someone said with a sneer. Usagi was promptly dragged to her feet and forced to bow to Zechs.  
  
"Tell me, commoner, where is the diamond? We know you stole it." Zechs's sharp nose and eagle eyes demanded attention and caused his pale features to look harsh.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Usagi replied, something new was inside her. A courage and strength that she had never had was burning inside her, pumping through her veins. She didn't tremble or flinch as she spoke the next words, "Only a dog of OZ would slaughter children."  
  
"Well, then I wouldn't be the dog. It certainly wasn't me that laid a hand on your...children." The general said calmly. Usagi's head snapped up, "But you gave the order! You were the one who ordered the death of my family!" She struggled against the man who held her, "And it's you who should be lying dead on the ground right now!"  
  
She was slapped by a nearby soldier. The hand that had been gloved in silver armor, made her cheek bleed where his knuckles had struck her. Her anger blazed into life. Zechs's eyes opened in wonder when he saw a crescent begin to smolder into light on her forehead.  
  
"Magus!" He called. The soldiers around him began to fidget from their anxiety; the commoner had magic in her. The soldier's grip on her arms had loosened in his amazement of the glow of light that was radiating from her body. Wind tore through the room and the homely clothes that had hung on Usagi were transformed into fine silk and linen. Wings broke through her back and thrust the soldier away from her. She held the glorious limbs threateningly aloft. "You'll pay for what you did to them!" She said darkly. With a single beat of her wings she was lifted into the air, "You'll pay for all the black things that you ever did!" Usagi cried as she rushed at Zechs. Just then, a purple shield encased the general and Usagi bounced off of it without even sending a crack through it.  
  
The light that had given her a lazy glow, roared upwards into a flame of light as it felt the conflicting magic in front of it. The magus had arrived. Raising a single finger he blew out the blazing magic that surrounded Usagi, with a single word he had put her to sleep. "You called, General?" The magus said with impressive composure, bowing to the general. Zechs snorted, "There's no need for you to bow. This girl, how did a commoner like her get such power? And her wings, is she some sort of desert wraith?"  
  
The magus approached Usagi's sleeping body warily, "Her power is beyond what I could have ever imagined, you are lucky that I was here to save you." The magus bent and caressed the silken wings. The feathers that he touched wilted instantly. The magus was caught by surprise when the wings began to grow to an enormous size. He snapped his fingers but the growth didn't stop. Stepping back he raised his hands and uttered words of power, just in time. The cocoon of overlapping wings that now shielded Usagi, had lifted from the ground and would have transported her to safety, if the magus hadn't interfered.  
  
"What just happened?" Zechs asked curiously, his sword was drawn and his placid cerulean eyes held no fear as he stretched his sword forwards.  
  
"I wouldn't touch it General." The magus said delicately as he circled the wings which had completely wrapped Usagi and was now hovering in the air. "She has some kind of wild magic, without her needing to say a word or a spell, her magic rose up to protect her..." The magus's eyes were filled with something unreadable, something dangerous was lurking in them. "We should take her back to Treize. He would more then enjoy this new...weapon in his army." He said slowly, contemplating his words.  
  
Zechs thought carefully, "Will she join our side? We did after all, kill her only family it seems."  
  
"If we wipe her memory, I'm sure we can manage it." The magus drew himself up and brushed back his stray hairs.  
  
"But will you be able to? She obviously has power beyond what we first thought."  
  
The magus shrugged, "Either way, it's safer having her under our thumb then running loose to cause trouble."  
  
Zechs nodded his head, "Now the question is, how we get to the castle without everyone seeing this."  
  
*****************************************  
  
Heero put a finger to his lips and pointed to the road below. Duo looked down and gasped, "Good lord, what is it?" Heero slapped a hand over Duo's mouth and continued to watch the silent procession. The two had stumbled upon a strange scene. The royal magus was walking with his hands thrust forwards. He forced, using his magic, the cloaked object in front of him to continue forwards. From their close perch the two could see the obvious trouble the man was having.  
  
"That's the royal magus!" Duo whispered in surprise, "What's he having so much trouble doing?" The Hurda's could see the beads of sweat rolling down the man's forehead as he continued to shoo the object forwards. Quite randomly, the oval object began to shiver and shake. The magus yelled something to the soldiers and they immediately surrounded the object. With a violent, almost explosive, shudder, the cloak fell away from the object. Duo gaped, "What is it?" He murmured. The perfect oval of white was really two wings, folded together into a perfect shield. Drops of pearl that hung on the wings, glimmered in the night, drawing the Hurda's eyes to it. Heero's luminous eyes were wide, "That must be it." Without a pause, Zechs leaned down and then threw the cloak back over the cocoon. Its movement stopped and it continued on in front of the magus without further trouble. Heero and Duo were leaping from rooftop to rooftop with urgency, Trowa had to return to the castle and find out what this object was.  
  
When they had reached the shady building that housed them it was only a moment later that a shadow slipped from the doorway and briskly made its way to the looming castle.  
  
********************************************  
  
"I would keep back Prince Barton." The magus warned.  
  
Trowa paid no attention to his teacher and continued forwards. The cocoon trembled and began to glow furiously with light as Trowa neared it. Trowa stopped a few feet from the cocoon, "What's inside it?" He asked, his eyes were absorbed by the marvel in front of him.  
  
The magus smirked, "A girl. We caught a girl with magical powers that are nearly beyond me."  
  
"Nearly beyond?" Trowa said scathingly. The magus grinned haughtily back, "Yes, nearly beyond mine, dear pupil."  
  
Trowa's fine eyes ran over the cocoon as it hovered. It was magnificent. A door slammed open and the soldiers around the room straightened themselves. The magus stood up regally, "My lord, here is the girl."  
  
Treize let his eyes lazily wander over his handsomely dressed soldiers before they swept up to the cocoon. His boots made a sharp tap-tap as he made his way to the cocoon. Paying no mind to his second son, Treize turned to the magus. "Get the girl out." Treize said curtly.  
  
The magus sucked in a breath, "As you wish, my lord." Lifting both his hands he spoke several words, none of which worked. With an annoyed look on his face he made a sweeping gesture and the cocoon burst into a million feathers. The sleeping girl hovered momentarily in the air before sinking to the ground. Treize was astounded by the sight, "This is the desert commoner you were speaking of?" He said incredulously, "Are you sure she wasn't stolen away from some rich rajah's palace?"  
  
The magus nodded his head, smiling, "Though she doesn't look like it, she is most certainly a commoner."  
  
Trowa's green eyes were riveted to this newfound treasure of the OZ family. The girl was made of nothing but soft lines and curves with a head of long, lustrous, golden hair. Her skin was tinged with a faint tan but had somehow, through a lifetime under a beating sun, retained most of its ivory hue. "She's fair enough to be a queen." He said quietly.  
  
His father, upon hearing the remark, nodded his head in agreement. "Put her in one of our formal rooms. We'll come up with some use for her."  
  
*****Did I mention that I don't even know what I'm going to write about when I begin the chapters?**Please review. ~Toodles, Qt~chan 


	3. Loners

Akbar  
  
Chapter 3 "What do you want?" Treize asked, his eyes hardly left the parchment in front of him.  
  
"I was wondering, dear father," Treize's head lifted at the nearly- sarcastic injection, "If I might have my leave for a day or so." Trowa curled his hand around the hilt of his sword, waiting for his father's answer. Treize scanned his second son, his roving gaze slowed when it came to the magnificent hilt of Trowa's sword.  
  
"Where you are going?" Treize asked, he at last turned his face to Trowa.  
  
"To visit a friend in Hatsu." Trowa answered, meeting his father's icy stare with his own.  
  
"A friend in that dirty little town? How...intriguing. And, pray tell, who is this friend?" There was a gleam in Treize's eye as he asked the question. Absorbing every diminutive movement that Trowa made, he looked for signs of a lie.  
  
"You will meet him soon." Trowa answered vacantly. Treize swept back a honey-brown bang and went back to his work, "Send word of your safety when you are in Hatsu." His voice lacked worry or care. Trowa's bowed head lifted for a moment. The smoldering green eyes steeped in the richness of his father's clothes and passed slowly over his forked eyebrows. Averting his eyes abruptly, Trowa bowed to his father and turned on his heel to sweep out of the extravagant room. As he walked down the main hall he heard the red-wood doors slam shut behind him with an air of finality. Things weren't going to last like this for long, everything, even the bated air, knew this.  
  
The princes' sage cloak billowed out behind him as he made his way down the hushed hall. He had decided that it was time to retrieve Quatre; Wufei's family was coming to the OZ castle in a few days and then the Hurda's planned to make their move. Trowa silently passed the ebony pillars that guarded the hallway. Each pillar was jacketed with their own part of OZ's ancient history. The histories of preceding OZ kings were on several of the pillars. Trowa didn't care for any of them, they were all reflections of an unrestrained government.  
  
His mind brushed against the memory of Usagi's angelic face, broken and pale from her misery. He had burned with his desire to steal her away from OZ that day. Maybe Treize had known, because he had become more suspicious of his second son thenceforth. Trowa had realized long ago that his father and brother had been keeping their plans for Usagi a secret from him. His princely green-eyes' dimmed at the knowledge. He only knew that Treize and Adaron, his brother, planned to use the Dragon clan's measureless talents to extricate the needed information from Usagi. Trowa had to steal Usagi away to safety before then. But time was running out, he had to retrieve Quatre before Treize or his brother got their hands on Usagi. With a sigh he put a hand to his temple; so many things could go wrong with the plan. Looking up at the vaulted ceiling he sent a prayer to the gods.  
  
When he opened his eyes he was once again reminded of how quiet things were in the castle. Quiet until he left, that was, Trowa was sure of that much. Gathering his magic together he turned his fiery eyes to the pillars. Murmuring a few words of magic to the ebony guards of the hall, he left the castle. They would watch on her in his stead.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Usagi leaned against the door, trembling and sweating from her fit.  
  
"Milady, are you alright?" A tentative voice asked.  
  
Usagi's scathing eyes swung to the slave, "Am I alright? I'm only a prisoner of this tyrant OZ!" She said hoarsely. The slave curtsied and set her silver tray down, not minding a word of what Usagi was saying. "Milady, it would be best if you ate, then you could keep your strength." The slave took the twisted sheets from Usagi's bed and used them to gather up the shards of porcelain that littered the floor. Usagi sprang up and beat her fist on the door. The glassy spell that encased the room rippled from her touch. "Let me out!" She yelled at the spell as loudly as she could.  
  
"Oh stop! You're going to get in an awful lot of trouble if you keep screaming like that." The slave said almost commandingly.  
  
Usagi snorted and whipped around to glare at the slave. "How can you even suggest for me to give up? Do you know what these people did to me?" Usagi's eyes watered from the memory, "They murdered my family!" Her crescent began to glow with her anger.  
  
The slave gaped at the mark on Usagi's forehead, 'Adaron was right', she thought. But the crescent burnt out seconds later as Usagi continued to sniffle. The slave girl moved to kneel down next to Usagi. "Things like that happen all the time milady, but people forgive and move on." She said soothingly. Usagi felt the rush of the magic as it uncurled from inside her, it sensed something. The tingling sensation of the magic flew to her fingers, ready to fly out at her whim; and then, just like all the other times, it was forced back. Usagi whimpered as the power left her hands, she knew that it was her only weapon. Her slender fingers lingered against the spell wall. If only she could use that incredible power that she had stored somewhere inside her.  
  
"I can't forgive for something like that...I'm not strong enough to do that...Why did it have to happen to me?" Usagi turned her drained face to the slave. The slave had the countenance of an upper-class lady; the kind that sometimes walked through the market. The upper-class ladies were always attractive, well-fed, and bred with manners that were 'superior' to those of the commoners. There was no doubting that she was a slave of OZ though, she bore the tattoo of interlinked chains on her neck. "Who are you?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Ashat...I mean, Asha," The girl smiled nervously, "I've been here for a year or two. OZ took me away from my family so that I could serve them."  
  
Usagi shuddered, "That's awful...something needs to be done about them. Why didn't your family stop them?"  
  
Asha's eyes flew to the ceiling, "What could they do...against the OZ soldiers?"  
  
Usagi turned away and said serenely, "I'm going to kill the OZ family." Asha rose up indignantly, "I wish you would stop saying such things. If one of the others hears you, imagine what would happen then. You could be put in jail for treason or even killed."  
  
Flinging her hair away from her face Usagi stuck her tongue out, "They can't do anything to me. I have their crystal, and as long as I have it, they're powerless."  
  
"Powerless?" Asha said quietly, "What happens if they torture you, what then?"  
  
"They already have tortured me," Usagi mumbled, "...no physical pain can be as much as Mamoru's death." She said sternly. She glanced at Asha who was clumsily making her bed. The servant of OZ started in surprise when Usagi pulled her hands away from the sheets. "I'll find a way to free us both. I have the power now." Usagi said earnestly, she desperately needed someone to believe in her.  
  
"Then why can't you go out of this room?" Asha pointed out.  
  
Usagi smiled, "I'll find a way...The magus has something to do with it. He's put some kind of spell on me."  
  
Asha watched as Usagi plumped the pillows herself and fixed the sheets.  
  
"What happens if you fail?" Asha asked suddenly.  
  
"What do you mean, fail?" Usagi said slowly.  
  
Asha's eyes pierced Usagi, "I mean, what happens if they find the crystal?"  
  
Usagi frowned, staring at Asha, "They can't find it. I have it well hidden from them; in a place they would never think to look."  
  
"They're going to get what they need out of you one way or another." Asha said thickly, "And then you'll just be another girl."  
  
"I am just another girl...I'm a commoner." Usagi said, laughing at her own words. Asha turned her face away, "That's just why you're wearing the best of OZ's silks..." She said under her breath. She picked her way around the broken basins, pitchers, and ornaments and headed towards the room's door.  
  
Usagi called to Asha, "What's wrong?"  
  
Asha smiled thinly, "Nothing...I have to go now and do other chores, but I hope we see each other again." Asha curtsied stiffly and left. Usagi almost caught the closing door but because of the broken porcelain everywhere she had lost the opportunity. She smacked the spell-wall in frustration. Rubbing her face, she decided that now was as good a time as any to summon her magic. "Okay. Here I go." She said. Squeezing her eyes shut she waited. Nothing happened. She tried again, three more times to be precise, and still nothing happened. She could feel her magic inside her, like a cool, gathered wind; but she didn't know how to catch it up and use it. Usagi grit her teeth. "I'm going to escape from here! You just see!" She said confidently loud.  
  
**************************************  
  
The magus's doors reached to the ceiling and were covered in gleaming gold and silver filigree. The door knobs were two hands lifted in offering, warped from too many years of use. Asha took one of these wooden hands and turned it. The massive door swung open just enough to let her squeeze through. When she slipped through the tiny aperture she felt the stuffy air whooshing out of the room as the door creaked to a close. She had entered the magus's room.  
  
Adaron looked towards the door when he heard its straining sound and saw Asha leaning against it. She looked slyly at him before she stalked over to him. Adaron grinned, "I thought you would have had to take longer with her."  
  
Asha rolled her eyes, "You forget that I'm a slave Adaron. A poor, helpless, little slave girl kidnapped by OZ, she's a sucker for those kinds of people."  
  
Adaron laughed at the remark and reached for Asha's hand. "Wait for the magus so he can remove that ugly illusion from your neck." He said warmly. Asha's slim hand clasped at his. She bent to one knee and bowed before him. "Very well, first prince of our lord Kushrenada, I will do as you wish."  
  
Adaron snorted, "Father will hopefully be pleased with what you found?"  
  
Asha removed her hand from Adaron's, "Ah-ah-ah, I'm not telling you yet, I'll wait for the magus before I speak a word to you."  
  
Adaron's eyes narrowed, "It better be worth my while." Asha shrugged her shoulders, "What're you going to do if its not? Wring my neck?" She said, her pupils widened into dark pits, "Are you going to slaughter me like you slaughtered that girl's family?" She said, she tossed her head back and laughed harder. The soft sound grew deeper and became hollow. Her body seemed to grow fat from her laughter and then she stopped abruptly. Bringing her head forwards she revealed her pupils that had grown to such an enormous size that her green irises had disappeared.  
  
"I have the authority to do anything I want to you." Adaron said simply. The magus entered the chambers just then through an adjoining room. At the sight of Asha he gaped. "Adaron!" He said sharply, "What did I tell you about my wraiths? They're not creatures that will just kneel and pleasure you!"  
  
With a sweep of his hand the magus split Asha's human skin and let the wraith free of the spell. Glittering white teeth grew from the blunt, square teeth of Asha's mouth and her tongue grew long and broad. Six arms grew from her sides and her legs grew bulky with muscle. Asha's face changed to a bruised black and her clothes clung to her bulging body. Adaron smoothly and in a sense, politely, moved from his chair as the wraith's hand knocked it across the room. "Do you still like what you see mortal?" The wraith asked, its voice made the room quiver.  
  
"If you are a woman, no. If you are a male, even less." Adaron answered with a smile. The wraith laughed, throwing its head back and making the room shake. The magus looked disgusted, "Please, Prince Adaron, stop joking with the defiling creature."  
  
Adaron's smile became even wider, "You're wraith was able to get information from the girl."  
  
The magus didn't look surprised, "How wonderful... It's about time too Ashati." He said severely. The wraith bared its teeth, "I think that the little wretch is seriously going to murder you all in your sleep." She said, laughing widely. The magus murmured a word and the wraith was silenced. "I want to know what she said to you right now." The magus demanded.  
  
The wraith's clawed hands twitched in anger, but she nodded. "The crystal, as Usagi put it, is hidden in some place that you would never find it. And I think a magus like her would find a place that you would never think of, so good luck." The wraith said, happy to have caused more trouble.  
  
The magus snorted, "She is most definitely not a magus. How many magus's do you know with power like that? Just living in the desert as some kind of commoner when they can raise themselves up to power in an instant?"  
  
Adaron nodded his head in agreement, "It is a little odd. Especially if she loved that little family of hers so much, why couldn't she have just magicked up something to provide for them?"  
  
The magus thought for a moment, "We'll just have to find out through her, there's no other way."  
  
"She wouldn't tell me." Ashati said boomingly. The magus glared at the wraith, "Ashati, of all wraiths, you are by far the worst and most annoying."  
  
Ashati bowed, "Just give me an OZ soldier and we'll see how bad I am." Laughing to herself she disappeared with a loud pop. Adaron glanced at the magus, "Can she just leave like that?"  
  
"She's gone to the only place she can go, to her cell. I spelled all the wraiths that I've caught so that they can't teleport themselves wherever they want. The same goes with that girl. She's been trying and trying to break my magic. A good effort too...Adaron, we must find out who this girl is and where the crystal is soon. I looked into the other four crystals for advice and all I see is this light, this incredible light. It burns my eyes nearly every time I so much as glance at them."  
  
Adaron smirked, "Well, we can't have that now can we?"  
  
******************************************  
  
Quatre tore his gaze away from the lady, "So you don't know where she is?"  
  
"Oh no. I saw her that one night...but then she disappeared after that."  
  
Quatre leaned against the wall and stared at the sky in despair. He could only faintly remember how brilliant Usagi's eyes had been.  
  
"Is something wrong young man?" The lady asked, her wrinkled old face wrinkling even more in her concern. Quatre pushed himself off of the wall and out of the shade, "No. I'm fine, thank you miss." He handed her a few rupees before turning to walk down the road filled with venders. The old lady watched him go. His heavy black cloak trailed him, hiding his wickedly curved blades from the crowd. Smiling a little, the old lady fingered the fine rupees, "Hurda's," she said, "always were loners."  
  
Quatre had asked every one of them. All of them. For a year he had done nothing but ask and ask and ask. None of them had had anything to say to him. Every each escaped prisoner from Akbar had seen Usagi but didn't know where she had gone. In most opinions she had gone either east, south, west, or north. Quatre knew he didn't have the time to scour the desert for Usagi, and it hurt to know it. The noisy people in the market place jostled and pushed him around as he made his way to the entrance of the city. And through it all, he couldn't help wishing that the crowd would push him down and trample him. He had lost the only thing that had sustained him all these years. The weight on his shoulders was almost enough to topple him over. He had left Usagi not for a few years as he had first thought, but for forever. He hadn't been able to find her, or save her in any matter. His wishes and dreams flew into his head, wilting when they came to the standing fact; Usagi was gone.  
  
At the entrance of the city he gathered his cloak about him. The soldiers looked at him suspiciously as he passed through their gates. He ignored them and continued on the path for a long while, panting slightly from the scorching heat. Without even looking back, he darted behind a sand dune and continued on his way towards the flaming sun. He would have to head back to the OZ citadel now.  
  
"What took you so long?"  
  
Quatre looked up in surprise. Trowa's tall frame stood in front of him, his sword in hand. Quatre frowned at the weapon and glanced at his Dewolf. Gasping at the sight he rapped out a quick command. The brutish creature immediately backed away from the half-eaten carcass it had in front of it. Quatre walked up to the torn and bloodied creature, wincing at the sight. "Sorry. If my Dewolf had known who you were I'm sure this," Quatre glanced at the remains, "wouldn't have happened." Quatre saw, out of the corner of his eye, his Dewolf licking its bloody muzzle clean.  
  
Trowa sheathed his sword, "It was only the best horse in my father's stable." Trowa said unperturbed. Quatre laughed, "It's good to see you again. How are things back at the castle?"  
  
Trowa smiled faintly, "How did your search go?"  
  
Quatre's face dimmed, "Not well. I couldn't find her." The wind whistled in his silence. Quatre shuffled awkwardly, "I had felt sure that I would find her but no one knows where she's gone. I've asked everyone." The words were softly spoken.  
  
"You've been gone a year." Is all that Trowa said. The laconic statement spoke a hundred words at once, all of them telling Quatre that it was time to give up, and go home. Quatre nodded his head in understanding, "I know. It was a wild hope in the first place," He murmured. He walked up to his Dewolf and pulled himself on. Trowa climbed onto the Dewolf's back with the same ease that Quatre had. "I'm sorry." He said gently to his silent friend. Quatre turned his head and shrugged his shoulders, "Not your fault." Turning back forwards he bent over to whisper into his Dewolf's ear. "To Treize's castle." Quatre commanded. Stealing into motion, the overly large wolf flew over the sand.  
  
******************************************  
  
Usagi squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her shoulders in her effort to ignore the pain. The magus stood watching stonily, commanding the wraiths that surrounded her. The wraiths flew about her, touching her and shooting monstrous amounts of barbing energy through her. "Stop." She said pleadingly to the wraiths. They gave her another bout of energy. Her body shuddered from the attack, bruising with each touch. The magus continued to keep Usagi from using her magic, savoring the fact that his victory was near. The four to five OZ soldiers that stood reservedly in the corners of the magus's room watched silently.  
  
The magus narrowed his eyes in awareness as he felt Usagi's magic struggling for its mistress's waning life, "Cut her now," he growled to Ashati. One of Ashati's clawed hands shot out and raked itself across Usagi's back. Her clean, red blood spilled forth. It cascaded down her back and soaked the back of her dress in a cloying copper. She fell to the ground from the blow, clenching her teeth. Shedding few tears, she hugged herself tighter. Her lungs heaved to fill themselves with oxygen, trying to help her body recover from the shock. Usagi turned her darkening eyes to a soldier. He stared back at her with passionate cobalt blue eyes that saw her and all her blood. She heard the magus say something and turned her gaze to him. Ashati took advantage of the moment and lunged forwards. She buried her claws into Usagi's bleeding back. Usagi screamed and bent her forehead to the floor, sobbing. Ashati's hand pushed further into Usagi's skin. She was relishing the body's convulsions as she dug deeper and deeper. Usagi felt her body becoming paralyzed with the pain, her back burnt from it. She wished that she could sink into the icy floor to stop the burning.  
  
The magus's eyes darted to an OZ soldier that had stepped forwards. The soldier unsheathed his sword and hurled it into the air. The sword soared through the air like an arrow before it speared Ashati's body. Ashati had been knocked off her feet and was pinned to the wall from the force of the throw. The wraith wrapped her hands around the plain hilt and drew the blade from her stomach. Ashati hardly even winced when her blue blood dribbled out of her wound. The soldier threw off his helmet and lowered his collar so that only the wraith could see what he was showing. Ashati screeched, "Oh forgive, forgive!" She howled, covering her face from the armored man. The soldier lifted his glowing hand and sent Ashati flying through the air, regardless.  
  
The magus stared at Heero in shock. He told the wraiths to get away from Usagi. "I didn't expect a soldier to know words of power. In fact, it's rather strange that a man like you is an OZ soldier at all." Grinning slightly, the magus motioned for the wraith's to surround the man. "They call me Orig, master magician of OZ." Orig said, hints of a threat were in his voice.  
  
"I know who you are." He said simply. Orig shrugged his shoulders, "And who doesn't nowadays...But what is your name warrior?"  
  
"Heero." Heero's thrilling dark-blue eyes glared at the Magus.  
  
The magus didn't flinch under the soldier's gaze. Pulling at his chin thoughtfully the man motioned for the injured Ashati to come closer to him. He whispered a question into the wraiths ear and then straightened upon the answer. "You're a Hurda warrior aren't you?"  
  
Heero remained silent, his hands were limp by his sides.  
  
"Only a Hurda warrior could summon some spell like that!" The magus said fanatically, "Admit it!"  
  
Heero's forceful gaze moved to the girl who lay broken on the floor. "What is a magus most afraid of brother wraiths?" His voice was low.  
  
The wraiths, black and swirling, snapped their heads up. Their luminous eyes were wide with triumph. A hiss of glee escaped Ashati, "What is a magus most afraid of brother?" She said, her eyes turning to Orig who was dumbfounded. Orig felt the prick of Heero's magic trying to undo the spell he had done on the wraiths. The magus's chestnut eyes darkened, "You think you can defeat me?" Orig laughed, "A simple Hurda warrior! Wraiths, I don't know what game you're playing but destroy him!"  
  
The wraiths remained where they were snickering among themselves as wraiths do. The magus smirked, "Fine with me, you think I just play little parlor tricks for OZ, wraiths? Have you forgotten how I captured each and every one of you with ease? You'll see." The fires flickered and then went out from the explosion of air. The guards were thrown flat to their feet. All the men except Heero, who stood with a slight grin on his face, were knocked unconscious from the blistering power of the magus. "Do you remember your lore Magus?" Heero's voice filled the room. The magus gave a slight inclination of his head, "I do little warrior." He said menacingly. Heero's smile left him as he slid the collar of his uniform down to show Orig what he had shown Ashati. The magus's smirk faded, "The mark."  
  
"The mark of Auri-Un." Heero said, his hands began to glow, "I have come from the western corner of the desert because of you. You stole the demons and wraiths away to serve your own greedy purposes and now their lord has come to punish you for it."  
  
"Wraiths," the magus said disgustedly, "Are nothing more than the remains of a once great soul! You are nothing, Wraith Lord or not, I will destroy you!" Lifting his hands, Orig sent a shaft of magic speeding towards Heero. Heero deflected the spell with frightening ease. Orig didn't notice, he was concentrating on the most valuable object in the room, Usagi. Throwing random spells at Heero he kept the wraith lord distracted easily.  
  
Heero's eyes grew dark with suspicion, the magus was up to something. He could feel the divided magic from the magus. He abruptly turned his attention to the girl. Clenching his fists, Heero remembered his promise to Trowa. Darting away from the wall Heero ran towards the girl. The magus snarled as he muttered something under his breath. A vine sprang from the stone floor and grasped Heero's ankle. He smacked the floor, immediately all the wraiths surrounding him leapt into action. The four hurtled towards the magus. With a snort the magus sent light cutting through them and they turned to dust.  
  
Orig the magus, turned his eyes triumphantly to Heero only to find that Heero was not where he had left him. The vine lay limp on the floor, cut down by Heero's dagger. Orig's eyes went to the girl and were alarmed by the sight. Heero had her in his arms and was preparing to teleport away. Desperation gave the magus strength, whispering another word he sent his spell out. The whirling ball of flame flew at Heero. Heero lifted his hand to deflect it but it exploded before he could do such a thing. Heero felt his face twist in anger as he was thrown in the air before the emotion passed away, he had to control himself.  
  
The girl had been flung from his arms and was covered in soot in a far corner of the room. Even from across the room, Heero could hear her ragged breathing and her whispered words. Orig's gaze swung to Usagi as wings bloomed from her hurting body. Orig parted his lips to speak but couldn't as a solid black spell flew into his mouth and began to wind around his head. Orig's body heaved for air, summoning his power again he burnt the spell.  
  
Heero had no time to waste on the magus though, he was giving all of his energy to the girl. Her closed eyes opened and the crescent on her forehead began to glow. Her eyes were full of electric anger, "Magus," she said, "You won't even know what hit you." Her eyes just barely brushed over Heero who was still feeding her his energy before she turned her full attention to the magus.  
  
She threw up her arms and her wings arched upwards in unison. Orig was thrown against the wall and held there as the light that he had seen radiating from the other four crystals, blinded him. Heero covered his eyes against the light, he could feel the pain of the light needling his stomach. Wraiths were never that good against spells that had anything to do with light, he thought to himself as his body began to smolder from the radiance. An arrow, laced with drugs, cut through the light. Heero never saw it coming, it buried itself into his side. Gasping in surprise, Heero's hands moved to pull the arrow from his side but his movements were so strangely slow. He struggled to move the feathery tip from his body but fainted midway. The radiant light ebbed, Usagi's head turned to the fallen Hurda. Revenge was coursing through her veins but she pushed it away, Usagi wasn't going to let her savior die right in front of her. That was how she was caught off guard. A gray magic shot across the chamber just as she had begun to heal Heero. Before she could do anything she was being smothered by the spell.  
  
She struggled against the suffocating magic, falling to her knees as she fought against it. The spell tightened its hold on her and she finally gave way. The spell immediately removed itself from her once she fell to the ground. The chamber was silent once more. In the doorway, Adaron stood with his bow in hand, a magus was next to him. The magus's lustrous black hair and beady black eyes were characteristic of his people. On the side of his neck was the tattoo of a spiraling dragon.  
  
"Thank you Orich." Adoran bowed respectfully to the magus. Orich hid his trembling hands in his wide sleeves, "She is strong."  
  
Adoran smiled to himself, "Not for long. It seems that you came just in time."  
  
Orich nodded his head, his gaze shifted to Heero, "You've angered many people Adoran."  
  
Adoran's smile grew even wider, "You can't keep everyone happy now can you?"  
  
************************************************  
  
Usagi woke when she felt the first drop of water hit her sore back. Rolling over she arched up in pain when her open wounds touched the freezing stone floor.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Usagi squeezed one eye open and was thoroughly shocked when she saw Heero. "It's you!"  
  
Heero remained silent, holding the bowl of water in his hand. A dark bruise was on his cheek and the armor that he had worn was gone. Usagi blushed when she met his eyes, their dark centers sucked her straight up into them. Tearing her eyes away from Heero, who was giving her a funny look, she scanned her surroundings. She was in a jail cell. The iron bars were brown and crusted over with rust but were still unbreakable. Multiple spells were laid on the bars so that Usagi couldn't even begin to undo one spell before another would warn the stoic jailer who stood at the end of the hall. Usagi began to relish the cold floor beneath her, it was cooling her burning back. "Thank you for saving me." She said through chapped lips. Heero shrugged, "I keep my promises. Turn back over, your cuts need to be cleaned."  
  
Usagi winced at the thought, "Do they have to be? And what promise?" Heero simply flipped her onto her stomach, ignoring her questions. Usagi complained at the situation before Heero gave her a severe, silencing glare. She lay meekly on the ground after that. Her eyes flew open when she felt the buttons of her dress being undone. She turned her face so that she could watch what Heero was doing, wary of him. The cuts were obscene, they were covered with hardening blood and oozing pus. When the air stung her cuts Usagi tensed, she couldn't even begin to imagine how horrible it would be to get them washed.  
  
Heero's calloused hands would forever remember the split seconds that they had to touch her silken hair when they brushed it aside. For a moment, Heero's eyes grew lighter and glowed with a flickering light then, without warning, they darkened; the light had gone.  
  
"Don't use your magic around me." Heero said when he felt the hole in his side begin to tingle.  
  
Usagi frowned, "Why not? I could heal you, you know?"  
  
"Your magic is based by light. I'm a wraith, you can't use light magic on me...unless you want to burn me." Heero said.  
  
Usagi sighed, "I just wanted to help."  
  
Heero smirked, "How could you possibly help me?" She didn't have time to answer because the water pouring onto her back effectively silenced her. Her body trembled as each adhesive bead of water filled her split skin. "You'll be fine." Heero said in monotone.  
  
"What're you doing?" Usagi mumbled. Her smarting cuts were beginning to complain just a little less. Heero silenced her with another glance before he concentrated on the task in front of him. Spiraling ribbons of black were falling from his hands and onto Usagi's pale skin. The black magic pooled on her back before seeping into the gashes. Reciting his words of power he closed his eyes, feeling the drain as his energy flowed out of him with his magic. The wounds began to slowly knit themselves back together.  
  
When he was finished, all that was left of the cuts were long, fine scars from Ashati's claw's and a circular scar from where Ashati had gouged her hand into Usagi. Heero ran his hand over her back, checking his work over. Usagi stilled under his hands, Heero noticed. Quickly he re-buttoned her dress and moved away from her. Usagi slowly sat upwards, pausing every second or so to see if there was any pain in the motion. Once she was sitting all the way up without the slightest hint of pain she broke into a grin. "Thank you!" She squealed as she leapt onto Heero in an overjoyed hug.  
  
Heero pushed her away, "Stay away from me." He snapped. Usagi was startled by his words but didn't let them stop her from bowing to him. "Thank you Lord Heero."  
  
The wraith lord snorted, "You're so strange."  
  
Usagi's eyebrow arched upwards, "And what makes you think that?"  
  
Heero ignored her, it was time to take care of his own hurt. Usagi watched as Heero's sculpted arms pulled his shirt up and off. Usagi stood in fascination, she had only seen Mamoru's stomach once. Mamoru's body hadn't been something to gawk at though it had been firm. Heero however, was more than just firm. Usagi was wracked with the temporary guilt of Mamoru's death having only been a few days ago. But the temptation standing in front of her was overwhelming. Heero's stomach flinched when the cloth was pulled from his injury. Usagi watched as a few drops of blood leaked from his wound. Without thinking she closed the distance between them and put her hands on his trickling injury.  
  
Heero was immediately made speechless from the pain, she was making his injury far worse. Stifling a gasp, Heero's eyes were surged by light. Under Usagi's hands his skin was burning, he could only feel the awful sensation of the light as it ate into him. But the wound was closing, the skin was coming together over the gaping hole.  
  
When Usagi's mind was jolted with the memory of what Heero had said earlier to her, she tore her hands away from him. Fear tickled her spine, what if she had killed him? He was leaning so heavily against her that she couldn't be sure. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes grew wide when she felt his hands wrap around her waist. Sucking in air, Usagi glanced upwards, afraid of what she would see. She was at once pulled into his depthless eyes. She found a warmth in them that hadn't been there before, they were unlocked doors. He lowered his lips onto hers without warning. She stood frozen, until she felt his mouth imploring with hers. She yielded to him and opened herself to him. He caressed her lips with a crushing passion. Leaning forwards, he smoothed her neck with his kisses. Usagi's breath came rolling out from between her red lips, hot and moist. She felt the familiar pulse of her magic through his roaming hands. 'This is wrong.' A voice whispered in her mind.  
  
Heero's hands froze where they were on her hips and his caresses came to an abrupt halt. He had heard the whisper too, because the voice was strongest in his own mind. Usagi yelped in surprise when Heero shoved her away from him with a furious strength. Tripping over her feet she hit the iron bars and fell to her feet. "Why did you do that?" Usagi gasped out in alarm. Heero's pithy eyes glowed, "Don't come near me again." He snapped.  
  
Usagi gaped before her brows turned down in anger, "You think I'm strange? What do you call what you just did?" She yelled at him.  
  
Heero was exploding with anger, "Don't you know what I am you idiot girl?"  
  
"A wraith! So what! You're a good wraith, you're not evil like the others." Usagi's words tumbled from her mouth, nearly-incoherent in their rush.  
  
Heero's blue eyes were shadowed to an onyx, "You obviously don't know who I am." His fingers brushed against his mark, "I was one of the four who first discovered how to use magic. Unlike you, you just propel it around with your emotions. But I discovered how to use magic. I learned the words that formed the first spell...the first magic that could be controlled."  
  
"You're the first magus?" Usagi said incredulously, "But then...how can you still be alive? The records say that you died millennia's ago. AND," She said indignantly, "what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Heero's hands clenched and he looked away, "Listen." He ground out, "I'm not alive or dead...I'm a wraith. And a wraith, as Orig so kindly put, is the remains of a once powerful soul...my soul, when it was whole and complete, hated death. And so, when I was on the brink of falling into the dark chasm of Hades my soul split in two so that it could remain on this Earth. The pure part of me left and I remain." Heero stared at his hands, "I am the fearful, envious, power-hungering side of the first magus's soul. I was the part of him that he left behind to wander this earth, as a wraith."  
  
Usagi's eyes were dazed, "You're an evil wraith then?"  
  
Heero's eyes bore into Usagi, "Some would say that." Usagi frowned, "But that kiss...it wasn't evil." She said as blood filled her cheeks, "And, and the feeling...that wasn't wrong." Her words hardly reached his ears.  
  
"It was your light that was controlling me." Heero answered stiffly, "I would never willingly smother myself against the likes of you. I can't love anymore anyway so you can try to explain it as much as you want."  
  
Usagi shook her head, "You're wrong Heero, I touched another side of you. You can't possibly be the evil part of the first magus's soul. You're just...too nice. You did after all save me and heal me." She said brightly.  
  
"I had promised Trowa I would."  
  
Usagi stuffed her ears and crossed her eyes, "Too much information." She said huffily. Heero crossed his arms over his chest, "Another reason why I wouldn't choose to romance you."  
  
Usagi stuck her tongue out, "Too late, you already kissed me."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Only because you did what I expressly told you not to do."  
  
"Heal you, you mean?"  
  
"If you hadn't 'healed' me then your magic wouldn't have entered me."  
  
"What does my magic have to do with anything?"  
  
Heero let out a short breath, "Light magic will destroy me. I don't want to be killed Usagi, I want to rejoin my soul and be whole again."  
  
"How're you going to do that? Wouldn't you want to die then, so you could go to the other part of your soul?" Usagi's mind was buzzing.  
  
"I must sacrifice a part of myself, but I don't see how I can do that when I'm not even alive. What is there to sacrifice? A heart? I don't have one. A friend? I have none. Why is it, Usagi, that wraith's are always killing people? They hope that sacrificing them will be enough. There is so little in a wraith's life that self sacrifice can be very difficult for them." His eyes were glowing in their intensity.  
  
The buzz in Usagi's ears quieted, "Then why are you here? My magic wasn't controlling you, it was you who kissed me."  
  
Heero opened his mouth to speak but the screeching of a rusty door spoke first. Usagi's eyes darted to the jail keeper. She could just barely make out the figure of another man next to him as they strode towards her cell. Her breathing became quick and shallow, "Heero, they're coming here."  
  
"You're afraid?"  
  
Usagi swung around, "Of course I am," she snapped, "what if they want to hurt me again?" Heero frowned at her alarmed eyes, "Then you do what you did before, you stand your ground. Die before you tell them about the crystal Usagi."  
  
Usagi's mouth fell open, "How did you know about that?" She began to pace back and forth in the cell, frightened.  
  
"I have my own sources, why do you think I was in the chamber where you were being tortured? I'm a Hurda, Usagi."  
  
Her feet stopped their pacing. Her mind wheeled back six years to when she had discovered that Cat had been a Hurda. The memory was like a hot brand on her skin. It had itched for years to come to the surface but she had put it away. Cat had left her and that was that, she had told herself. But now, standing with another Hurda, she was afraid. She didn't know if she could stand through another torture alone, abandoned by another Hurda. "Protect me then." She whispered, covering her warm cheeks. Heero's brows bent together, "You'll be fine."  
  
"Don't let them take me." She reached for his hand. Heero's eyes traveled up its length until he found himself in her gaze again. "Please Heero." She murmured, begging him. Heero insides squirmed, "If only..." He didn't finish his sentence. He took her hand and drew her close, "Stop whining." He said. Usagi didn't care what he said, she was safe while she was beside him. He wouldn't leave her like the other Hurda she had known, he would stay. Their cell door opened and Adaron stood in the doorway. Heero felt Usagi's grip tighten. Adaron gave a devious grin, "Why hello Usagi."  
  
Usagi shook her head, "I'm not going to tell you anything."  
  
Adaron stepped aside, allowing Orich to step in. "I don't think that'll be a problem anymore." Usagi hid herself behind Heero, peeking over his shoulder at the two men.  
  
Orich's eyes flicked to Heero, "Step aside wraith, there is nothing you can do."  
  
Usagi's nails dug into Heero's hands, "Don't go." She whispered, thinking that Heero couldn't hear her.  
  
The wraith locked eyes with the magus. An unseen battle passed between the two ancients in a matter of seconds. The wraith turned his eyes away from the magus. Orich's forked tongue flicked out, tasting the defeat. Heero stepped aside, revealing Usagi, and unlatched himself from her. "There's nothing I can do." He told her, he refused to acknowledge her questioning eyes.  
  
The light in her soul had waned. Drawing herself up, she faced the magus alone. Orich rolled his eyes at her last show of defiance, "Come along, there will be no pain in this." She ignored him completely. Just before she left the cell, Usagi looked to Heero, he hadn't moved an inch. She opened her lips to say something, goodbye maybe, but the words didn't come. She turned her back to Heero, there would be no goodbye's between them. Taking deep breaths she lifted her chin and kept her eyes skyward. She wouldn't let the tears fall from her eyes. 'I can bear this.' She thought. 'I am strong.' A tear rolled from her eye and fell to the floor. 'I am strong.'  
  
****Review, Please!! ~~Sorry it came out so late~~ Toodles, Qt~chan  
  
P.S. I have final exams so the next chapter will be awhile...meanwhile have fun complaining for me to ff.net about how my story doesn't show up on the story page. 


	4. In a Dream

Akbar  
  
Chapter 4 Trowa's jade eyes were torpid from infinite hours of traveling across the changeless desert. He was awakened from his stupor only when the whisper of a far-away sound caught his ears. Trowa's lantern-like eyes swept over the wind-rippled dunes, not able to find the source of the echo. The whispering noise in his ear rose to a screech before falling sharply away. Trowa's head lifted instantly and he came fully awake. The murmuring noise in his ears turned into the rumbling of mixed voices. The onyx pillars that he had spelled at OZ were tuning his ears to the sounds that were disrupting its hushed hall. Calling up a little of his magic, Trowa strengthened his distant spell. The buzz in his ears smoothed into the honeyed voice of his brother, Adaron, ' "Trowa chose the perfect moment to leave. My brother seems to always know when it is best to abandon the OZ family." ' Trowa's eyes hardened at the comment, but in truth, he cared little; why should he care about his tyrant family?  
  
' "This spell is powerful Adaron, are you sure you want to do this?" ' The cautioning voice was deep and alien to Trowa. He, who knew every sound that played off of the OZ walls, was temporarily stumped by the commanding voice.  
  
' "Of course I am." ' Adaron retorted, ' "This brat's caused more trouble then any of the rebel's I've ever met. She deserves this if anything, and I'm not about to waste the opportunity either Orich." '  
  
There was a long pause of breath between the two before Trowa heard Orich speak again. ' "Someone has been listening to us..." ' Trowa winced as the voices began to run together into a squealing pitch before it was silenced. His patronizing green eyes were amazingly void of emotion as he came to the realization that Wufei's family had arrived at OZ already. There was no one else but the Chang family that had a skilled magus in their company.  
  
Trowa's fists clenched, "The Chang family is already at OZ."  
  
Quatre started in sleepy surprise, "What? ...Oh..." Quatre yawned and stretched his sore muscles as best as he could while riding his galloping Dewolf. "How'd you find that out?" He asked curiously, as he turned his eyes towards Trowa.  
  
"Do you remember the pillars in the grand hall?"  
  
"How could I forget them." Quatre answered, "They were literally the size of my house."  
  
Trowa nodded his head in acknowledgement, "I spelled them so that I could watch over my family while I was away."  
  
Quatre laughed, "You're always ready for anything, aren't you?" Quatre glanced at his friend and saw his grimace, "You're families disturbed Trowa, it's not wrong to watch over them or anything..." Quatre smiled unsurely at Trowa before turning back around.  
  
"We need to get to the castle by morning." Trowa answered.  
  
Quatre snorted, "I'm sure you're brother can't be doing something so bad that we'd have to rush that much. The trip usually takes me three days to get from Hatsu to OZ."  
  
Trowa shook his head, "We need to get there by morning. Something is happening, another magus is in my house and I don't trust magus's, especially foreign ones."  
  
"So? Wufei will keep things in check, won't he? I mean I've never met him but I'm sure he's competent enough to be able to do that much." Quatre answered with another yawn.  
  
Trowa sighed, Quatre was so far behind him and the other Hurda's. "We found a girl who can tell OZ where the crystal is. My brother has been planning things for her that will promise himself the crystal in a matter of hours."  
  
Quatre gaped, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"  
  
"You were busy."  
  
Quatre rolled his eyes before digging his heels into his Dewolf. The wolf seemed to surge upwards, tearing the dune in half as it hurtled forwards. "This better be worth it Trowa, my Dewolf friend will be near dead from exhaustion because of this." Quatre said in complaint.  
  
Trowa didn't hear what he said though, he was thinking of someone else.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Usagi lay sprawled on the floor, panting from her struggles to escape the spell that had her pressed to the ground. She lifted her drained eyes when the heavy oak door groaned open to her room. Before she could gather herself together she was hauled upright and gagged. Looking bewilderedly around her she tried to wriggle away from the iron-fisted soldiers. A glow of orange light turned her attention to the two men that had entered. Her eyes were instantly glued to the magus that stood regally next to Adaron. It was the magus from the Dragon clan. There was no mistaking it; his tattoo made it all too obvious.  
  
His silver streaked hair gleamed in the light of his weapon. Usagi's eyes widened and her skin began to crawl when she saw the glowing poker in Orich's hand. The magus looked to Adaron for confirmation to continue his work. Adaron glanced at Usagi, his gaze moved over her sublime body like viscous honey. "Do it." He said with a smile. The poker that had been shaped into a curling vine neared Usagi. Giving a strangled cry she kicked out and tried to suffocate the magus with her magic.  
  
Orich shook his head in shame, "Such a waste...Adaron, when the act is complete you have sworn to give us two of your crystals, does your promise still stand?" Orich stood just slightly behind Usagi, waiting for Adaron's answer.  
  
Adaron's eyes were filled with the sight of Usagi's straining body, "I do...now hurry up and get it over with." Adaron's eyebrows flicked upwards in temporary surprise when he saw his father enter the room. "I came to watch." Was all that Treize offered to Adaron's questioning gaze. Orich glanced at Treize respectively before he moved forwards. Orich pulled the shoulder of Usagi's shirt down until the first edge of Ashati's scar was revealed. With a final glance at Adaron, Orich plunged the glowing poker onto Usagi. Her soft pupils widened in a split second and her scream came tearing out from behind the gag. Her entire body jerked forwards with surprising strength as it tried to escape its fiery tormentor. Usagi's eyes were teary from pain and her ears were ringing with her own shrieks so that she couldn't hear Orich's words. 'Good God,' she thought, 'I can't survive something like this!' Her entire shoulder was exploding with unimaginable pain and her insides felt like they were about to spill onto the floor. Orich nodded to the soldiers that held Usagi in place and they instantly released her. Usagi's freed hands flew forwards in a weak attempt to save herself. Her arms locked up in pain once they struck the floor and she wobbled on her stiff arms, sweating and swearing from the throbbing burn.  
  
Orich's eyes were glowing red as he abruptly lifted the poker from Usagi's back; it was icy cold. Adaron's eyes were eagerly set upon Usagi. Her body's shuddering began to slow and her breathes lost their ragged edge. Usagi's soaring blue eyes ebbed away into empty pits and she began to feel a breath of artic cold run over her body. Her cold shoulder flared up in pain for only a minute or so before it was again soothed by the chill breath. Orich licked his lips in nervousness when he saw Usagi's body relax, it was time to finish the spell. Taking a breath he reluctantly spoke the last word to the spell. The air, which had seemed to be in- between breaths, hurtled away from Orich's standing figure and smashed against the surrounding walls with terrific force. There was a single gasp from Usagi's lips as her very soul was snatched from her. Orich's tanned hand lunged out and grabbed at the silvery substance that had materialized before him. The mist shriveled and sank into his hand upon contact. The red fire in Orich's eyes faded as he opened his fist to Adaron. "It's done." Orich said thickly. The prince ignored Orich's stiff expression and eagerly peered into the magus's hand, "What is that?"  
  
"Her tanaka...some would say her soul, either way, you would do best Adaron, to keep it safe. Once the tanaka's broken she will have her soul back, and she won't be too happy." Orich handed the crystalline rose bud to Adaron. The prince stared at the rose in his hand before breaking into hysterics, "Well done Magus. You've just earned the Dragon clan two crystals." Orich bowed his head, his eyes flitting to Treize.  
  
"Adaron, have her cleaned up." Treize said, nonplussed by the spell, "The Dragon clan will be here in a matter of hours. They've brought half the country with them, they thought you were a bachelor." Treize said blandly. He turned to Orich, brushing aside his bang as he did so, "I will finish the deal. Master Orich, come with me to receive the crystals." Orich bowed low to the King of OZ before sweeping away with him.  
  
Adaron watched his father go with the magus, smiling all the while. Once they had left the room he kneeled down next to Usagi, flinging back her hair. He couldn't resist planting a kiss on her warm forehead. Grinning in triumph he caressed her cheek, "Where's the crystal my love? Where did you hide it?" He asked soothingly. Usagi looked up and met Adaron's gaze. The prince held her face in his hands for a moment before he thrust himself upon her. Adaron reveled in the feel of Usagi's soft lips and silken hair. But she remained still and didn't react to Adaron in the slightest.  
  
With a look of disgust on his face Adaron pulled away from Usagi. Pulling the shoulder of her shirt back up he crossed his arms over his chest. It hadn't been the romantic encounter he had been hoping for with the beauty. Usagi's clouded blue eyes met Adaron's, "The crystal is inside of me."  
  
Adaron's disappointed eyes lit up at the information, "Inside of you?" he snorted, "And all of this time we were searching for it." Staring at Usagi's porcelain face, Adaron took her hand in his, "Come love, get up off the floor. I'll have the maids clean you up."  
  
************************************  
  
Duo tapped Wufei's shoulder, "What am I supposed to do again?"  
  
"Pretend you're my slave for all I care." Wufei shrugged Duo away.  
  
"Um...okay. That'll be pretty hard considering what an asshole you are Wufei." Duo said in irritation.  
  
Wufei didn't even so much as bat an eye at the comment. Duo's shoulders sagged, "God forbid I call the heir of the dragon clan an ASSHOLE!" He said loudly. Duo threw himself onto one of the many cushions that were strewn across the room. Crossing his arms he looked disgustedly at the far wall.  
  
"Oh hello wall. It's nice to talk to you again. I've been talking to walls ever since Trowa left. Wall number one, Wufei, wall number two is, well actually wall number two, my dear buddy Heero, hasn't been around that much. I wonder," Duo was cut off in mid-sentence when Wufei gave him a spiteful glare.  
  
"The reason why, you imbecile, is because he's been captured by OZ. Don't you keep track of anything." Wufei practically spat out.  
  
Duo stuck his tongue out, "I'm a shifter, why should I live up to anything but my reputation."  
  
"Being a lying, thieving, raping, murdering shifter is such a wonderful thing to be. I can't believe I'm even wasting my breath on you." Wufei said thickly back.  
  
Duo sprang up and grabbed his scythe, "I may be a lying, thieving, murdering, shifter but I'm definitely not a rapist! And I'm definitely glad I'm a shifter so I don't have some stuck-up 'I'm better than everyone' attitude!"  
  
Wufei made a noise of contempt, "Shifters are on the lowest rung of society for a reason, freak. You follow Heero around because he's a step up from the filth you usually hang around."  
  
Duo's eyes grew savage, "A step up huh? I could deal with you insulting me, but insulting Heero is a step too far. Prince or not, I'm gonna kick your half-human ass back into the fucking jungle!" Melting into the form of a wolf Duo leapt at Wufei. His bared fangs were just seconds away from closing on Wufei's neck when he was jerked backwards.  
  
Pouncing back up from the ground Duo turned his snarling features to the man that had just stopped him. The wolf's purple eyes grew momentarily wide before wolf melted back into human. "Holy camoly...And I thought Wufei was the only one." He muttered sourly. In the doorway stood the grave and unmistakable figure of Orich. The magus turned his eyes downwards and met Duo's eye with disgust, "I was hoping that your species was extinct."  
  
Wufei rose up from his window seat, a slight smile on his face. "Orich, what word do you have from my father?"  
  
"I was able to finally receive the crystals from Treize." Orich answered, gladly taking his eyes from Duo's.  
  
"Both?" Wufei's smile had left and he stonily met Orich's pleased gaze.  
  
"Yes. I can't believe the power in these crystals. With these, your father will surely be pleased." Orich's hand tentatively reached up to his dragon tattoo, "No doubt he will be happier just to not be in the desert heat at all, but this was the best I could do."  
  
Wufei's slack muscles belied the fact that his mind was spinning. What had his magus done to receive such a high gift as two of the four crystals that the OZ family owned? His coal black eyes searched Orich's body for any signs of a struggle and dismissed the question of whether or not Orich had stolen the magic gems.  
  
Orich fingered the two crystals which lay in his pocket. He was nearly ashamed at what he had done to receive the crystals but the power that lay locked in them had been too enticing. He bowed to Wufei and spoke again, "Are you not pleased, Master Chang?"  
  
The Asiatic Hurda massaged the back of his branded shoulder, sometimes he wish he didn't have the Hurda mark there. "How did you obtain the crystals Orich?" Wufei asked slowly. Orich grew grave again as he filtered through all that had happened. "I did what had to be done." He said, shying away from telling the young prince what had occurred. His heavy gaze instead turned to settle on Duo's rapidly stiffening form, "So you have the company of a shifter, and no one else?" He asked curiously as he scanned the small room.  
  
Wufei shrugged, "A few of my friends came here, but no others." Wufei silently wished that he had talked to Duo during the long days. Since then Duo wouldn't have been practicing his penmanship of the Hurda mark on the walls.  
  
Orich's gaze traveled over the markings on the wall, each mark became better and better as he went. His mind sorted through the vast information it kept, trying to find the definition or meaning of the symbols. When the meaning did finally strike him he felt his blood turn to ice. Pulling his eyes away from the wall Orich did his best to keep his voice smooth, "Master Chang, I don't know what you're getting into but it'd be best if you kept closer track of your actions." He pinned Wufei with his gaze.  
  
"Thank you, Orich." Wufei said haughtily, "Now if you'd please leave me and my slave to ourselves, I believe I'll see you tonight at the entrance ceremony." He said as he gave a dismissive bow.  
  
Orich stared at Wufei, "Yes...it was pleasure to see you in safety milord."  
  
Wufei gave a poisonous smile, "And you also, Orich." The magus's brows furrowed together at the smile but he did as custom. Bowing respectfully to his prince he turned on his heel to leave. The luminous cloaks of the magus flooded out behind him as he retreated through the door. Wufei's acidic smile disappeared as soon as the roughly hewed door creaked shut. He shot another accusing glare at Duo.  
  
"If I hadn't know that my magus was walking up the steps as you shifted I would have run you through with my sword." He said in frustration of having Orich discover what he had been up to the past year.  
  
"Your magus!! That was your magus!" Duo said in contemptuous disbelief, "He looked like another enemy to me. 'Keep closer track of your activities Wufei.'" Duo imitated nasally, "What was all that about?"  
  
"Orich likes to think that he knows everything that's going on around him." Wufei said shortly.  
  
"And does he usually?" Duo asked in feigned curiosity.  
  
Wufei shrugged his shoulders, "How am I supposed to know what's going on in that magus's brain?" Wufei glanced at Duo and saw that the shifter was sprawled out on yet another pillow. His scythe lay carelessly on the floor next to him.  
  
Duo opened an eye and let it bore into Wufei, "What're you staring at?"  
  
"I don't know." Wufei replied coldly. Duo grinned, "I love it when I piss you off." He sat straight up in alarm when he heard a sky-shattering rumble reach his ears.  
  
"What was that?" He gasped as he groped for his weapon. Wufei shook his head, "If you knew anything, you'd know that that was my family coming."  
  
"They send out a roar when they travel?" Duo said sarcastically.  
  
"That was our dragons you idiot, why do you think that we all bear that tattoo?"  
  
Duo's mouth dropped open in amazement, "You guys actually have real live dragons?"  
  
*************************************************  
  
The touch of the paintbrush on her lips was pleasantly cool compared to the heated air that piled around her. Her navy eyes opened just slightly so that she could drink in the ruby red color that now stained her lips. She was immediately reprimanded for doing so, but she didn't mind in the least. The tickle of another brush moved across her eyelids and then left them for her cheeks. She felt the slight tug on each ear as the heavy weight of her bejeweled earrings was placed on them.  
  
"Alright milady...you can open your eyes now."  
  
And she did so, she smiled without feeling, "I never thought I would look good in red." Usagi said, her voice was oddly dull.  
  
The slave nearest her smiled, "Of course you look good in red, it was meant to be your color." The slave's smile broadened at the remark and she hid her hands in her wide sleeves. "Someone will call you when you should come to the hall milady, but otherwise do try to remain still so that you don't smear your makeup." She said with a bow.  
  
"Thank you Asha." Usagi called out as Asha and her accompanying slaves left. Asha let the door click shut behind her. The three or so slaves meandered down the hall a ways before turning towards the magus's room. Asha turned the wooden hand on the great magus's doors and led the way inside. The interior of the room was just as dank and stuffy as before but now Orin sat inside it, blind and bitter. With a twist of her wrist Asha and the slaves surrounding her began to melt out of their human skins. Back in her wraith form, Ashati hissed with laughter, "Orin told me that that girl has the crystal inside her." She said with another giggle. She swung her wide hips as she walked to Orin. One of the wraiths shrugged his shoulders, hanging back. "Either way, it's not going to make me get up to the rest of my soul any faster." He grumbled.  
  
Ashati hissed in Orin's ear and laid a hand on his shoulder. She shrugged at the wraith's comment, "I gave up long ago. It's useless to try and rejoin your other self, I was one of the first magus's and now look at me; hundreds of millenia's later and I'm still stuck down her, I'm not just about to kill myself to rejoin. I'm just going to enjoy being alive before someone like that girl kills me and I turn into a puff of dust."  
  
"Ashati, I thought you told us she was going to free us, now look at her. She's being used by Adaron." Another wraith said in anger.  
  
Ashati looked menacingly at the wraith that had just spoken, "Don't blame me, do I look happy about still serving our dear, dear, dear master Orin." Ashati glanced at Orin and smiled venomously.  
  
"Well Master Orin, blind Master Orin, what would you have us do now?"  
  
Orin grimaced, "You disgust me Ashati, even without my sight I can still control you though. Isn't it sad that a blind-man can still control the demon population with a single word?"  
  
Ashati's clawed hand left Orin's shoulder, "Yes. But one of these days I'm going to kill you Orin and it'll be because you couldn't see me."  
  
"I can see even better now." Orin snapped.  
  
Ashati turned a sly eye to the other wraiths that were muffling their guffaws of laughter. "If it weren't for those two remaining crystals you have, you wouldn't be able to see at all, no energy outlines or anything." Ashati said.  
  
"Maybe Ashati, but I'd still have an idea to kill you, of all the wraiths, first." Orin lifted the two small crystals from his pocket in example. Ashati cringed and stepped away from the light-radiating gems. "You see Ashati, I knew that someday I'd find a way to use these. But I never imagined it'd be through some poor common girl." Orin said, pride seeping back into his voice.  
  
Ashati rolled her eyes, "Good lord Orin, you can hardly even use up a half of its power."  
  
"I know. I was never able to do the things that the girl is able to do with the crystal, but that's because it's inside her."  
  
"And how are you going to get it inside you? Eat it? Hopefully you'll choke on it." The wraith said innocently.  
  
Orin grinned and stood up, "I'll find a way. Now leave me Ashati, all of you."  
  
Ashati bowed depreciatively, not that Orin could see, and disappeared with a resounding pop.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Usagi stared at herself in the mirror. She pushed back the locks of curling hair that surrounded her face. Strips of light burgundy velvet color ran throughout her hair and were held in place by diamond hair pins. She let her fingers just barely touch her cheeks, which were blushed in color. Her eyelids were dusted with gold and her ears were heavy from the ruby tear- drop earrings. 'I'm just covered in diamonds and gold,' she thought to herself in a bored sort of manner.  
  
Rising to a stand she slipped the high-arching shoes onto her feet. Her velvet dress swirled around her as she moved. Thanking everything good for the air that moved through her gauzy sleeves, Usagi reached for the damask wrap. Her dress was scarlet and was revealingly low on its wearer. The open expanse of Usagi's neck was covered only by the gauzy red neck of the dress. The sleeves and collar of Usagi's dress ended in black strips of cloth that were studded with glittering diamonds. Waving her hand loftily Usagi laughed hollowly when the glint of her ring struck her eye. 'I'm getting married.' The thought had no feeling to attached to it as it crossed her mind.  
  
Her heels clicked against the floor as she made her way to the door. Standing in front of the door she wished she could open it but she had been told to stay inside. So she waited just inside the door until she heard a soft knock. The servant who was calling on her was surprised by the hasty response that he received.  
  
"I'm ready." She said with a meaningless smile. The servant's eyes were wide, "Milady," he said in admiration, "Right this way." He offered her his arm. Her muddy blue eyes didn't leave the floor as she was led to the noise and heat of the ball.  
  
***********************************  
  
Ami giggled, "What a fortunate thing that Adaron's already engaged. My father was about to kill me for sending the last suitor away." The princess giggled some more, flinging back her vibrant blue hair as she did so.  
  
"That's nothing to my father. Since he's the king of 'everything' he can't have his daughter cooking for him...he said he'd throw up any food that I made him because it wasn't proper that I should be working." Makoto said in aggravation. Ami sighed, "Ah well, being a princess isn't all that everyone thinks it is." The two fell silent at the remark and sipped at their glasses of water. Makoto's flashy green eyes focused on the slim princess that was making her way over to them.  
  
"Are you two resting again?" Minako asked as she smoothed her pale yellow dress.  
  
"There's no one to dance with." Makoto said defensively. Minako shook her head, "Like you're actually trying. I want you to dance with Eshra."  
  
"He's your suitor, you dance with him." Makoto said with a toss of her hair.  
  
Minako narrowed her eyes at Makoto before sticking her tongue out. Ami glanced around to see if anyone had seen the princess of Venusha stick her tongue out.  
  
"Fine. I'm going then." Minako bustled away to Rei who stood in a throng of four girls. On her ring finger a red diamond sparkled in the light. Her hand was currently splayed out in front of the four, now five with Minako. "God, Wufei didn't even give me the ring. His father did. I'm practically marrying his father at the rate this is going." Rei said.  
  
"I'm sure the Dragon clan didn't mean to offend you." Michiru said lightly. Her sea-green hair, which was rolled down her back, was still wet from her last swim.  
  
"I know," Rei said, her red eyes were hard, "It's just I haven't even seen the man I'm going to marry since I gave my engagement vow a year ago!"  
  
"That is a long time." Hotaru said softly, she was the youngest of all the princesses but no less eligible than any of the one's surrounding her. Rei ran a hand through her hair, the wine in her glass swirled dangerously close to the edge. "I'm just so frustrated, and now we're here and he's not!"  
  
Haruka snorted in laughter, her short blonde hair and her skinny figure seemed strange in comparison to the long haired, full bodied girls that surrounded her. She could care less though, she was ruling queen in her kingdom and there was nothing anybody else could do about it. "Don't worry. At the very best you'll be ruling like me. The little bastard probably is scared of you. Maybe you're taller than him or something." Haruka offered.  
  
Rei downed her glass of wine, "I doubt that. All the dragon clan members are all haughty and superior because they have dragons on their side. I don't doubt that Wufei is some prideful prince off having an affair with someone as we speak."  
  
"Oh enough already Rei." Minako said in weariness, "We had to hear all about it on our trip up here, as if that wasn't long enough. I don't know why we have to all come all the way up here just for Adaron's stupid meeting."  
  
"Don't be silly Minako, you know what this is about don't you?" Setsuna asked, she was oldest of them all.  
  
Minako thought for a moment and then shook her head. Setsuna sighed, "It's to discuss the fate of the crystals. Two of them have already gone to the dragon clan for doing a much needed task for Adaron and now we are seeing what he is going to do with the rest of the three."  
  
"Three? I thought he only had two others." Michiru said in alarm.  
  
"He recently gained one, I think from his marriage with this princess that we haven't heard of." Hotaru said, her eyes were very grave as she spoke.  
  
"Well what's so special about some crystals? Is he selling them? I've never heard of such a thing." Minako confessed.  
  
"They're crystals with a ton of magic power sealed in them. The first magus's took the magic that they could and put it all in the crystals. That's why there are so few magic bearing people nowadays, it's all locked away in the crystals."  
  
"How come I never heard this story?" Minako asked in surprise. Her hand, in her nervous discomfort, went up and fussed with the red bow holding her hair up.  
  
"Probably because your country has next to no magic." Haruka said with a shrug, "You got unlucky, if Adaron or the Dragon clan, or any of us for that matter, were to attack you, you wouldn't do that good against magic wielders."  
  
"Well I can use magic so that should be enough shouldn't it?" Minako asked, relaxing slightly.  
  
Haruka made a sound of exasperation, "Never mind that. Let's talk about something else, like who that girl is." The six beauties turned their heads and found their eyes immediately attached to the exotic princess that had just entered. She looked lost in the crowd of dancing, twirling people. Walking around the room she looked from face to face, seemingly absorbing what she saw.  
  
Haruka stood straighter, "Excuse me for a moment girls." She said quickly before she soared away towards Usagi. Minako watched Haruka go, her brain was still whirling with the sight of the newly arrived princess. "Wow...Adaron really knows how to pick and choose his girls."  
  
Rei's eyes were narrowed, "And little else. What a stupid looking girl, she may have the hair and the face but a girls got to have a brain to be able to survive out here. Let's see if she's got any Minako."  
  
"Rei! I'm going to get in trouble with my father. He's right over there." Minako said, nodding her head to a table off to the left of the group. Rei grabbed Minako's arm and dragged her away with a shrug, "Who cares." Rei answered. Minako weakly tried to escape Rei's clutches but of course, failed.  
  
"Well it's your fault when Eshra decides not to wed me." Minako said huffily.  
  
Then, rather suddenly they came upon Usagi. She gave them a startled look before offering her hand. "My name's Usagi. How do you do?"  
  
Rei was just as startled as Usagi, "Fine milady. I'm Rei." Usagi was beautiful from far off but was exquisite close up. "This is my friend Minako. She's princess of the Venusian region." Rei finally stuttered, she hadn't done that in a long time.  
  
"Oh, I heard that was a lovely place." Usagi said, her blue eyes went from one girl to another and then flew up to Haruka who barged into the crowd.  
  
"Milady." Haruka said, curtsying beautifully, "I've been meaning to speak with you."  
  
Usagi returned the curtsy and turned her blank face to Minako and Rei and then to Haruka again. "On what?" She asked slowly.  
  
"Just on," Haruka was interrupted as Adaron's heavy hand fell on Usagi's shoulder. Adaron bowed respectfully to Haruka and nodded to the two blushing princesses. "Usagi, you should come with me to the table now. Treize is about to make our announcement."  
  
Usagi nodded her head and offered an empty smile to him as he led her away. Haruka snapped her fingers in annoyance, "I just missed her."  
  
Minako frowned, "What were you going to ask her anyway?"  
  
"Nothing..." Haruka watched Usagi go with a tinge of regret, "I wanted to know if she knew a friend of mine. He had told me once about a girl that looked like her."  
  
"What friend is this?" Rei asked in renewed vigor. Haruka waved a hand, "Oh nobody." She smiled at their looks of passionate curiosity and leaned down. "He was a Hurda." She whispered into their ears.  
  
Minako nearly screamed at the information and Rei's eyes just widened to an impossibly large size, "A Hurda!" Rei mumbled back, "I can't believe it! When were you friends with a Hurda?"  
  
Haruka gave a warning look to Rei and Minako, "Ever since I was about to be killed and he saved me. It was out in the middle of nowhere." She said vaguely. Minako had stars in her eyes, "Wow...I would love to meet some handsome Hurda warrior and be saved by him!"  
  
Haruka would have laughed had her eyes not been locked on the angry face of Adaron's brother marching across the room.  
  
Trowa was filled with some angry sting. Even as Quatre pulled discreetly at his elbow and gave him warning after quiet warning he couldn't slow his pace or mask his fury. His eyes were locked on Adaron who sat next Usagi. Their lips were pressed together in a kiss and he wanted to slap them both. What were they doing? Hadn't they been mortal enemies when he had left?  
  
Treize spoke his son's name softly, "Adaron, your brother has come back." Adaron immediately released Usagi's lips and looked up in time to rise up and politely greet his brother. "Trowa, I'm so glad you could make it. Did you get my messenger?"  
  
At the greeting, everything Quatre had said to him on the trip from the door to Adaron's table, came rushing back to him. The muscles in his shoulders slacked and he flicked his eyes over Usagi. "No, I didn't, but I'm glad to see that I came just in time." He said quietly. Adaron's eyes flashed at the comment but he civilly gestured to the chair next to him. Trowa took the chair and motioned for Quatre to sit next to him.  
  
Quatre had been rushing alongside Trowa trying to calm him and hadn't seen the woman sitting next to Adaron. Now that he was at the table he could stare at nothing else but her. His heart was pounding so loudly and so fiercely in his chest that he was afraid it would explode. His eyes traveled over her, memorizing her face.  
  
"Quatre."  
  
Quatre started in surprise and quickly came to himself. Seating himself hastily he dragged his gaze away from Usagi.  
  
"This is Quatre Raberba Winner." Trowa's voice seemed to attempt at swatting Quatre's distracting thoughts away. It only worked for a few moments.  
  
Adaron smiled, "Ah, a Winner. So that's why you had to go to Hatsu." Adaron said to Trowa before turning his attention back over to Quatre. "I heard of your family's great achievements on magic." Adaron's gaze was piercing to the Winner member that sat near him.  
  
Quatre felt his toes curl as he concentrated on just looking at Adaron instead of Usagi. "Yes, we are well known for that, though our family has declined since the last decade." Quatre said as humbly as he could.  
  
Adaron shrugged, "Great magic always lives on in a family." He turned to Usagi and placed a crowd-pleasing kiss on her cheek. "And this is my soon- to-be wife Usagi. When we first saw each other," he spoke to Quatre, "we were immediately in love." He was allowing no mistake to be brought between him and this Winner boy. Adoran wanted to make sure everyone, especially Quatre, knew that he owned Usagi and that she adored him.  
  
Trowa watched in surprise as a look of terror flitted through Quatre's eyes. The look was only recognized by Trowa who leaned forward just an inch to jab his friend under the table with his foot. Quatre immediately put on a smile and rose up to bow to Usagi. "Milady, it is a pleasure to see you." He had almost added an 'again' to the statement but had luckily refrained. Sitting down he noticed that she hadn't responded in the least to him except to nod politely to his introduction. He wanted desperately to touch Usagi and scream that he was back. But he sat reservedly in his chair joining into the conversation that had developed every now and then.  
  
Usagi stared at a spot in the wall stiff and uncomfortable in the high- backed chairs. Adaron's hand would habitually return to her leg under the table. She didn't mind it much though because she knew that she was getting married to him. And, she thought, married men must do the sort of thing Adaron was doing to her all the time. Her gaze lazily went to the young rajah that sat in front of her. He noticed instantly and smiled hesitantly at her, Usagi's smile came automatically. His face dimmed slightly at her blank smile but he rose up and offered his hand. "May I have a dance with you?"  
  
Usagi looked to Adaron for confirmation and he carelessly nodded his head, "Do as you wish my love." She rose up and rounded the table. Once his hand had closed on hers they were on the ballroom floor twirling in time with the other lavish couples.  
  
Haruka swore, "It is him." The girls at her table turned their eyes away from the ballroom floor to Haruka's.  
  
"Who?" Michiru asked.  
  
"The Hurda that saved me a year or so ago." Haruka took the napkin in her lap and left it crumpled on the table. Michiru's eyes were quick to find the couple that Haruka was speaking of. Haruka was ready to rise when Michiru gave a sudden gasp and yanked Haruka back into her seat and shook her head. "I thought you said he was a Hurda! That's the Winner family's son! He wouldn't be running around dressed as a Hurda. I assure you Haruka that that is most definitely not him." Ami glanced around the ballroom until she saw who the two were talking about.  
  
"Haruka, she's right. There's no way that's a Hurda warrior. He came to our palace just two years ago to fix up our wards." Ami said quietly as a servant passed by them with a dish of food.  
  
"It is him." Haruka said determinedly, "That's him."  
  
"That can't be him Haruka." Michiru shook her head in disbelief, "I used to play with the Winner's only son when I was little. He wasn't the kind that would just take off and become a Hurda."  
  
Haruka turned to face Michiru, "You can think what you want to think but I know my own two eyes can't be fooled."  
  
"Well what are you going to do since you think you know it's him?" Michiru asked, trying to stop her friend from making a fool of herself.  
  
"I don't know. I want to know what he's doing pretending he's a Hurda warrior I guess." She said thoughtfully. Rei, who was on the other side of the table, laughed in an envious sort of manner, "Haruka, you can't possibly tear him away from Adaron's future wife. Look at them dancing." Makoto gave Rei's hand a comforting squeeze, "You'll dance with your husband tonight. Wufei's father promised you that much."  
  
"I wish Wufei would come." Rei said longingly as she watched Usagi and Quatre float across the room.  
  
Makoto and Haruka's eyes met in temporary jealousy before they both, in unison, looked up to drink in the sight of Usagi and Quatre. Their eyes were immediately struck by how adoring Quatre seemed to be of the dazzling girl. He held her like she was delicate china and moved with her perfectly. He didn't ever take his eyes off of hers. "Oh well Haruka, next guy." Makoto said, trying not to be saddened by the fact that she had no man that would hold her like that. Haruka's face reddened and she immediately turned on Makoto, "I don't like him!"  
  
Rei broke into the conversation before Makoto could say anything. "Sure. But I don't think it matters that much, he's enamored to that girl." Rei pulled herself up from her reclining position to reach for the loaf of bread that sat on the table. She ignored Haruka's infuriated glare. "I'm tired of this party. Why don't they just make their stupid announcement and leave? I'm tired from that stupid journey across the desert and now we have to sit through this boring stuff." She complained.  
  
Makoto waved her butter covered knife at Rei, "Shut up, I like watching those two dance." Minako giggled as she nodded her head in agreement, "They seem like they're...in a dream."  
  
Quatre couldn't believe he was dancing with Usagi. The girl that had filled his head for five years was finally in his arms. But every time he looked into her eyes he couldn't see the sun-kissed girl of his dreams. Instead he saw cloudy blue eyes staring back at him, cold and aloof. It was almost too much for Quatre. He had imagined his reuniting with Usagi to be filled with happiness, joy, maybe even anger. But the zombie in front of him had none of this inside her. The most torturous thing to Quatre was that Usagi was there in front of him in body but not in spirit. Quatre was brought awake by the sudden twitch of his fingers as they refused to let go of Usagi who was trying to pull away.  
  
"Another dance?" He asked timidly, he couldn't break away from her just yet. Usagi's eyebrows rose up in what must have been zombie surprise. Nodding her head stiffly Usagi raised her hand up again for Quatre to take. When he took her hand he chanced a look back at Adaron's table. He wished that he hadn't, Adaron was clearly irritated at Quatre's second invitation to dance with Usagi. "Do you like to dance?"  
  
Quatre was startled out of his thoughts when he heard Usagi speak. "What? I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said." Even Usagi's voice was the same as the one he remembered, he agonized over the knowledge.  
  
"I asked you if you liked to dance." She said softly, she was growing slightly pink in the cheeks from the endless dancing.  
  
"Oh, yes. I do, I never get to dance back at home." Quatre said, stumbling over his faltering tongue. Usagi nodded her head and said nothing else to him the rest of the time. Quatre sighed when they returned to silence; he missed Usagi more than ever now. When the song finally drew to a close he let her go and she turned away from him and went back to Adaron. Quatre felt his fists tighten, dancing with her had been the wrong thing to do. Now not only were his fingers tingling from the feel of her skin, but Adaron was staring at him in obvious distaste. His feet practically dragged on the floor as he moved out of the way of the next batch of dancers. He, luckily, was saved from returning to the table just then by the sound of brazen trumpets barreling through the room.  
  
Swerving around, Quatre watched the large crowd that encompassed the Dragon clan, pour into the room. He immediately spied the distant figure of Duo beside some boy that he didn't know. The playful shifter was dressed in the humble clothes of a slave and was currently shooting daring looks over to Quatre. The Hurda smothered a laugh as he made his way towards Duo.  
  
Duo shot another inviting look to Quatre before he attended to Wufei.  
  
"What were you doing?" Wufei asked quietly as he sought a way out of the crowd.  
  
"I got the guy who started us up, to come over and meet you." Duo said cheerily, keeping his eyes to the ground as he spoke. When Duo's head darted up the next time he had no time to lower his eyes before Wufei's father came upon them.  
  
"What have you been up to?" He asked gratingly, he was angry.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Wufei asked brashly.  
  
"What do I mean by that?!!" Wufei's father was twice as forbidding as Wufei and it could be clearly seen. His nose was far sharper than Wufei's and his skinny lips never seemed to pull out of the thin line they naturally made. "Orich told me." Wufei's father said bluntly. Duo wasn't shocked to find that Wufei's fathers' eyes were identical to Wufei's. The pair of sober eyes raised themselves and gave a quick scan of the surrounding crowd. When he was sure that no one was listening to him he leaned forwards and whispered a few brutal words into Wufei's ear. Giving a last contemptuous look to Duo, Wufei's father slipped away into the masses. Duo's cheeks were pink from the reprimand that he had just heard given to Wufei. "Are you alright?" He asked very quietly, his eyes now glued to the floor.  
  
Wufei sighed, "I expected no less from him."  
  
"Jeez...And I thought dads were supposed to be nice." Duo said, resuming his easy attitude. "I guess you better find your wife then. What should I do?"  
  
"Talk to Quatre I suppose." Wufei was about to leave when Quatre burst in upon the two.  
  
"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed in delight.  
  
Duo gave a thankful sigh, "Thank the gods you made it. It's been so boring talking to walls for a year."  
  
Quatre laughed, "At least you survived."  
  
Duo winced, "Just barely." Winking his violet eye at Quatre, he shoved Wufei forwards just slightly, "This is Wufei. Trowa was able to uh, befriend him." Duo said, trying his best to mask the true meaning; Trowa had recruited Wufei to the Hurda's. Wufei gave a small bow, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Quatre let Wufei examine him, knowing that the dragon prince was passing judgment as he did so. When the prince did bow to Quatre for a second time it was more relaxed. "I hope to see you again." Wufei said with a smile, "But I have a personal matter that I must tend to."  
  
Quatre grinned cheerily, "Sounds savvy. When we next meet Wufei, I hope it'll be on different circumstances." Quatre said. Wufei's eyebrow raised but he nodded his head in agreement and departed.  
  
"So how'd your search for the girl go?" Duo regretted asking the question when he saw Quatre's face pinch.  
  
"Well, I guess you could say I found her. She's right there." The blond Hurda nodded in the direction of Adaron's table. Duo swung his head around, expecting to see some ugly girl; Quatre seemed the type to fall in love with an ugly girl but be able to ignore the ugliness. Duo flung back his pestering braid and searched the crowd. When he couldn't locate the monster that must have been Quatre's all consuming lover Duo scratched his head and asked, "Which one again?" Duo rescanned the crowd as he spoke. Quatre sighed, "The one sitting at the Royals only table."  
  
'She can't be too ugly then.' Duo thought as he lifted his eyes.  
  
"The blonde one sitting next to Adaron." Quatre said sadly. Duo's eyes widened to the size of saucers when he laid eyes on Quatre's real love. "Holy, oh my gosh! You've got to be kidding me! You had dibs on that girl too?" He exclaimed loudly.  
  
Quatre coughed politely to bring Duo back to himself. Duo's violet eyes practically absorbed Quatre as they turned their beams onto him. "So, are you two in love or anything?" He asked as he lifted one of his eyebrows in daring wonderment.  
  
Quatre sighed and pulled Duo confidingly aside as the music was struck up again. "I am, but I don't know about her. Trowa told me Adaron had been up to something so that might be why she's acting so different." Duo gave a fleeting glance to the table where all the royals were sitting and laughed.  
  
"That ugly brute," Duo began, "definitely didn't bespell that girl." Realizing what he just had said, Duo gave an apologetic smile, "I meant that Wufei's magus, Orich, cast the spell, not that she didn't like you anymore Quatre. Only a magus could cast a spell as powerful as the one that's on that girl." As soon as Duo set his eyes on Usagi he again became entranced, "She's pretty isn't she?"  
  
Quatre grimaced, "I know." It had been a shock to find Usagi bewitched under a spell so that she couldn't even remember Quatre but it was just plain disturbing for him to find Duo already attracted to her.  
  
"How did you meet her again?" Quatre asked, uncomfortably pulling on his collar.  
  
"What?" Duo mumbled before he turned his face to Quatre again, "Oh. In the market place. She bought some stuff, some, oh yeah, some apples from me."  
  
"Is that Wufei?" Quatre asked abruptly, switching subjects to distract Duo. Duo looked upwards and smiled in recognition, "Yep, that's the ol' bastard right there. He's dancing with his future wife at the moment." He proclaimed admiringly.  
  
Quatre skimmed over the dancing couple, "He seems to be almost laughing."  
  
Duo sighed, puckered his lips, and fluttered his eyebrows , "If only I was so beautiful that I could make Wufei do that, then we could have had a lot more fun." Quatre jestingly pushed Duo away, "You don't have to worry about that Duo. You're as beautiful as a guy can get." The two broke into laughter at the remark.  
  
Rei picked her feet up in time without a puff or pant for breath. She waltzed along with Wufei in perfect time. Plucking up her courage she lifted her head to meet her future-husband's forbidding eyes. "I'm sorry that you couldn't come to the engagement ceremony." She said, trying to put a barb in her words. Wufei nodded his head, "I was too, but I had more important things to do."  
  
Rei's rose eyes thinned at the comment, "Oh, doing what?" She asked stiffly. Wufei felt his lips lift upwards in a smile, "I might as well tell you before someone else lies to you, but I was conniving with a Hurda." He said without any sort of affliction. Rei nearly stumbled in midstep from the news. "Good god, are you serious? Does your father know?" She asked, losing her detached air. Wufei nodded his head, "He knows, my magus Orich had the courtesy to tell him."  
  
"But it's illegal to consort with a Hurda at all, they always give the royals a hard time." Rei kept sputtering on in shock, "Why would you want to, to, connive with one at all?"  
  
Wufei leaned forwards and pretended he was about to kiss her on the cheek but instead whispered into her ear, "Because I want to kill Treize and all the OZ family with him."  
  
Rei gasped and tried to rip her arms away from Wufei, "Murderer!" She managed to say, "Murderer!" Her eyes were rolling around in their sockets, trying to find some set of eyes that would understand that she was dancing with a murderer. No one noticed her unfortunate plight though and the two kept whirling around, dancing.  
  
"Oh do shut up." Wufei said in disdain, "You woman are all alike. Have you ignored the sights of the impoverished people of this country? Have you seen how harshly they have been treated? And it is only a matter of time before Treize uses Adaron's wife to take over my kingdom." Wufei added in a sibilant hiss.  
  
"How, how can he possibly use a single girl to do it?" Rei's eyes had time enough to tear across Adaron's table and spot Usagi, before she was swirled back around. "Are you mad?" She asked, still trying to tear her hands away from Wufei's unbreakable grip.  
  
"Of course I'm not mad." Wufei answered calmly. Rei squeaked in pain when Wufei's grip became crushing to her delicate hands.  
  
"Let me go or I'll scream! I'll tell everyone what you're planning to do! And then," She added as she grew in confidence, "I'll enjoy watching Treize's sons kill you!"  
  
Wufei dipped Rei backwards in time to the music, wondering, in the back of his mind, when the song would end. "Treize has only one son, and that is Adaron."  
  
"You forget Trowa," Rei spat back, "He is the one that will be putting your head on a pike." Rei menaced back.  
  
"But he was the Hurda that caused me to miss my engagement." Wufei whispered, his eyes smiled back at Rei. Her struggles weakened at the words and she became limp in his arms. The violinists ended their duet and bowed to the applauding crowd. Wufei and Rei stood clasped hand in hand still. Rei let her tired head fall onto Wufei's shoulder, "I don't understand." She mumbled. Wufei shook her head off and let her hands go, "I thought you would be smarter then that. Go giggle about it with your friends and maybe you will understand." Kissing her on the forehead he bowed, "Until my father forces me to dance with you again, I pray that you have safety in your life." Rei watched as Wufei turned his back on her. Shaking her head rash decision she bustled forwards and grabbed Wufei's shoulder, turning him around.  
  
"I want to help!" She said desperately. Wufei hid whatever surprise he had and stared at Rei. "Woman are weak, how could you possibly help me?" Rei lifted her head proudly and glared back into Wufei's eyes, "I can fight."  
  
"An argument I've heard many times, but never had proven true." Wufei answered back before he broke away from her again. The sound of violins and trumpets struck up again as the two drew away from each other. Rei crossed her arms over her chest and watched Wufei go, she wasn't defeated in any way. "You'll see just what I can do, husband." She said threateningly.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Trowa's gaze wandered around the room and he spotted Duo and Quatre sitting at a reclusive table in the far corner. Keeping himself from smiling Trowa admitted that he was partially glad that Quatre had escaped Adaron's anger at Quatre's obvious passion for Usagi. The other part of him longed to have company that he could talk with. Wufei sat right next to him but that did nothing for him, both knew that they had to pretend that they didn't know each other. Trowa grudgingly turned his eyes back to his table. His eyes immediately turned up to Usagi and just as quickly did he tear them away. The ball was becoming torturously long to him.  
  
Sitting at the reclusive table, Duo marveled at the rosette marble columns that encircled the humongous dance floor. Each of the four columns was so wide at the bottom that it would have taken twenty or so men just to circle around them. The roof of the room arched up into a crystal dome that was laden with large opal leaves. Duo silently wondered if he could fly up there as a bird and steal some of the precious gems that were imbedded in the crystal. Saving the thought for later, Duo turned his gaze back to the enchanting room. The circular room had beautifully cut portico's that led out into the cool night. Duo glanced out one of the portico's doors and frowned at the darkening night sky. Inhaling a deep breath he tugged at Quatre's sleeve as the music started up again. "Listen Quatre, I gotta go and save Heero so could you uh, cover for me?"  
  
Quatre came out of his thoughts and nodded his head, "Wouldn't dream of doing anything else." He said with good cheer. Flashing another brilliant smile to his friend, Duo discreetly began to edge his way out of the ballroom. Duo passed the soldiers that stood guarding the exit with the excuse of his master needing something. Whistling while he went, Duo made his way down to the main hall. Whistling in awe at the onyx pillars Duo shook his head, "Jeesh, how many marble pillars can there be in one palace?" Stopping as if to admire the pillar Duo checked to see that no one was in the hall.  
  
When he found it to be all clear Duo at once shifted into a mouse and scurried along the hallways until he came to a drafty stair that plunged downwards. At the bottom of the stairs Duo spotted his single target. Growing into a wolf Duo pressed himself to the stairs and crept through the shadows to his prey. Once Duo was close enough to his dozing prey he flattened himself completely against the floor and readied himself. A minute ticked by before he surged into motion. He burst upwards into the air like a cannon ball and leapt at his target. The jailer didn't even have time to turn around to face the attack. Duo was already on his back and sinking his teeth into the man's fleshy throat. The jailer landed with a soft whump.  
  
Duo was quick to transform back into his human form as soon as he was sure that the man was dead. Crouched over the dead body, Duo listened intently for any sound of alarm. When there was none, he took the keys from the cooling corpse and silently made his way down the dripping hall. He spotted Heero almost immediately in a far cell.  
  
"Heero!" He whispered gleefully. The wraith's head snapped up at the sound of his name. His eyes lightened when he saw Duo, "What took you so long?"  
  
"I had to get in the castle first, stupid." Duo wagged his finger back and forth at Heero, "Promise me you'll be more careful when you're saving a beautiful girl's life."  
  
"If you mean Usagi, it was my only choice. Adaron was about to get the crystal from her."  
  
"Well Adaron practically has the crystal now, he put the girl under a spell of some sort. She's supposedly marrying him soon." Duo glanced up from his work of shoving the key into the lock to see Heero looking off into space. Duo's brows furrowed, 'What're you thinking about Heero?' When Duo finally wigged the right key into the lock he pushed the complaining door open. Heero leisurely stretched his muscles before raising himself up and stepping through the cell door.  
  
"A spell?" Heero questioned.  
  
"Yes a spell you idiot." The voice snapped in the dark.  
  
The two Hurda warriors spun around in surprise. Heero snorted, "It's only Ashati."  
  
Duo blinked owlishly, "Only...so we're only going against a wraith, alright, I can deal with that." He said with a shrug as he loosened his shoulders.  
  
"Not just any wraith you idiot. I bear the mark of Auri-un too." She said slyly. Heero bore a look of deep loathing, "Of course you do, I had almost forgotten that you once bore the title of third magus."  
  
"And you were the first, of course Heero. But that's not really important right now. What's important is that you escape from this poor pathetic jail cell alive so that you can come and save the poor little girl Usagi from Adaron's evil clutches." She laughed manically, "I do hope you survive this ordeal Heero, wouldn't want you or your friend dying, now would we?" Her mouth opened in a grin, "Good thing I have foresight Heero." Her smile fell and the world shrunk until it only existed of Heero and Ashati.  
  
"If anyone's going to die, you would be the first Ashati. Can't your powers of foresight tell you that?" Heero said flatly.  
  
Ashati shrugged, "Either way I could raise the alarm to warn everyone in the castle that you're up and about. But since I'm a good wraith I'll do no such thing, besides I want to see the look on blind Orin's face when he sees that you've escaped." Ashati's hands kept massaging her mark, she was uneasy for some reason.  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed, "Ashati, what's going on? What did Orin do?"  
  
"It was Orich from the dragon clan that bespelled Usagi, your little lover girl. But Orin is reaping the real prize as we speak, he will be undefeatable."  
  
Duo's mouth fell open, "Whoa, no way! Heero! You didn't tell me you liked her too! That's like, four people! She has a fan club!" He exclaimed, easily breaking the tenseness of the matter.  
  
Heero rolled his eyes at Duo, "I don't like Usagi." Turning back to Ashati Heero bared his fangs, "What is your foresight telling you Ashati?"  
  
Ashati hissed, "Don't bare your fangs at me wraith!" She gasped in surprise when she instantly found herself on the edge of Duo's blade. "Tell us now." Duo growled, "If it's my babe on the line you're going to give me all the information I want." Duo said darkly.  
  
Ashati snorted, "Oh please little shifter, you could hardly do anything to me." Her smirking features turned to Heero, "Heero, what're you going to do when you find her body all torn up and used," her eyes became shaded, "Oh how she'll fall."  
  
"Enough! Tell us what's going on!" Duo barked as he pressed his scythe against Ashati's neck with more force. Heero pulled Duo away, "Go." He said firmly.  
  
"What?" Duo asked in obvious befuddlement. Heero pointed to the doorway, "Go, tell Trowa that Usagi's in trouble. I'll deal with Ashati."  
  
"But Heero, you just got out of jail, you're not supposed to want to stay in!" Duo said, protesting profusely. Heero shoved Duo away, "Go or I'll slit your throat."  
  
Duo pursed his lips at the threat before he halfheartedly sheathed his weapons and turned to pelt down the hallway. Heero's eyes again met with Ashati's. "Whatever twisted you to turn into this creature Ashati? Tell me."  
  
"Foresight." Ashati said, her voice was almost proud as she spoke the words. "The curse of foresight is seeing everything going on in my brain before it could happen! MY GOD, it drives you crazy sometimes." She said with a laugh, "Oh Heero...you two are so cute together."  
  
Heero shaped a sword with his dark magic, "Ashati."  
  
Ashati looked up to meet Heero's equally dark eyes, "What?"  
  
"Shut up." He leapt into the air and swung his sword up. Ashati laughed as she shielded herself with magic. The dark sword came crashing down against the shield causing sparks to fly. Ashati hissed as she dodged the dark sword again and again.  
  
"Tell me, Heero," Ashati said between blows, "What's so special about that girl?" She used her shielded arm to knock Heero away from her. Laughing in glee at what she had done she lifted her hand and rapped out a quick spell. Beams of blue shot out from her hand and cratered the dungeon floor in its ferocious attempt to slay Heero. The wraith dodged each beam with a fantastic speed. He was glowing red all over from the alarming reaction of his fiery magic, but he paid no heed to it. Ashati lowered her hand and the beams of magic stopped. Tightening her fist she felt the burst of her magic as it enveloped her. Heero kept a tight clamp on his magic and didn't allow it to burst out of him in its struggle to match the opposing magic.  
  
Ashati cracked her knuckles, "Come on Heero, let's see how much longer I can distract you." Ashati was caught by surprise when Heero dropped his sword and darted forwards. She had time to hold her shield up in defense but was surprised when Heero's hand reached through her shield of magic and grabbed her arm. Gasping she saw the ceiling for a moment as Heero flipped her on her back. His two first fingers jabbed forwards and he sent a quick bout of scorching magic into Ashati's forehead. Her black blood spewed upwards and splattered against his face but he did nothing to remove it. Standing up, Heero shook his head at the sight of Ashati's slain body. "What a waste you were Ashati. Now I am the only wraith with the mark of Auri-un left to walk this earth...All you had to do was unlock the crystals." Heero said wearily.  
  
************************************  
  
"Wu, Master Chang," Duo blurted out as he bent into a swift kneeling position, "May I have a word with you."  
  
Wufei didn't even glance at Trowa but got up and left the table with Duo. With frenzied motions Duo was able to speed Wufei out of the ballroom and into the hallway. "How long has Usagi been gone?" Duo asked as soon as the two were out of sight.  
  
Wufei grimaced, "She left with Orin, I hadn't thought the blind magus would do anything to her. Who told you what was happening?"  
  
"Ashati." Duo said as he pushed Wufei along, "C'mon Wufei, we gotta go rescue the girl."  
  
"What happened?" Trowa's voice temporarily stopped Duo and Wufei.  
  
"Duo tells me that your magus, Orin, is doing something to Usagi."  
  
Trowa grit his teeth, "Adaron left the table around the same time as Orin. You don't think the two already have the crystal, do you?" He asked as he proceeded forwards with the two. Duo shrugged his shoulders, "All I know is that Heero's fighting that wraith Ashati right now and she's the one that warned us that Usagi might be in trouble."  
  
"A wraith told you that?" Piped up a familiar voice.  
  
Trowa glanced over his shoulder and gave a small smile to Quatre, "I was wondering where you were."  
  
"Oh, just exploring the castle, that's all." Quatre answered in a huff as he caught up with the rest of the Hurda's. "You know it's dangerous if we're all seen together like this." He said hesitantly. Duo winked at Quatre, "Already on that. Besides, I gotta go see if Heero's alright or not. See you guys later." Duo took to the air as a hawk and wheeled back down the hallway. Wufei shook his head, "I don't know if we should trust Duo's information or not."  
  
Quatre laughed, "Doesn't matter if we can or can't, we just have to act when we think its right, and I think that we think that this is the time to act. Right?"  
  
Wufei rubbed his face, "I suppose."  
  
Trowa's hand clenched the hilt of his sword in his eagerness; he would be able to reverse whatever spell had been laid on Usagi. Trowa unclasped his cloak and threw off his suit at the door of the magus's room. Meeting eyes with Quatre and Wufei for the last time he cooled his tingling nerves, "Whatever we do, we must first secure the safety of the crystal." He said. Quatre nodded his head in agreement though in truth he knew he wouldn't at all do what Trowa had told him. He would never let anything happen to Usagi again.  
  
Trowa reached for the door and felt his mind hesitate for just one split second. He flashed back to the memory of Usagi's body spiraling to the ground in a cloud of light; her hair had been all around her in an aurous mass and her pearl tipped feathers kept wilting to the floor. Silvery ribbons and pearls that had been wrapped around her had sprinkled to the hard floor as she neared the ground. In the next instant Trowa had turned the handle to the Magus's chamber. The three burst into the room all at once. Trowa's pine eyes were electric in their astonishment.  
  
Adaron stood clutching Usagi's failing body close to him, his blood tipped sword pointed at Orin. Adaron's eyes filled with something that Trowa had never seen when they fell on him. The emotion in Adaron's eyes filled Trowa with a strange sensation. "Trowa, help me, please!" Adaron cried out as Orin turned to see who had entered.  
  
"Ah, the little bastard son of Treize. Have you come to finally slaughter your brother?" Orin asked in anticipation.  
  
Trowa's throat constricted when he saw Adaron's eyes widen at the comment.  
  
"Well?" Orin asked, his blind eyes stared straight at Trowa, "Isn't that why you've brought your Hurda friends with you?"  
  
Adaron's hold on Usagi tightened, "Then I am truly alone." He said angrily, "I really am the only son of Treize Kushrenada, I should never have relied on a bastard son to save me!" Adaron spat harshly at Trowa.  
  
"What you did was wrong Adaron." Wufei spoke, "Taking a person's soul is a very high crime in my land."  
  
"I did what I had to for the OZ family." Adaron said accusingly as he stared straight at Trowa. Trowa slowly unsheathed his sword and stepped forwards, "As must I."  
  
Adaron's nostrils flared at the challenge but he made no move forwards. Orin grinned, "I won't stand in your way of justice Hurda's." He said as he gave the three a clear path to Adaron. Quatre abruptly lunged for Orin, lifting his saber in preparation to strike. Orin stumbled backwards in surprise at the move but was able to block the attack with his magic. At the summoning of his magic Orin began to smile, he had almost forgotten.  
  
"Wouldn't you just like to know what Usagi told me?" Orin's hand splayed outwards and slowly pressed down on the building pressure of air beneath his hands.  
  
Quatre was instantly pressed to the floor as the gravity in the room became a hundred times stronger to him. Struggling to lift himself under the spell Quatre clutched his saber with determination. "Whatever you did to her Orin, you will pay for two fold." He shouted back. Orin lifted his outstretched hand and Quatre flew into the air. "I learned how to absorb the crystals into me. Now I have twice the power of Usagi! You can't possibly teach me a lesson that I don't already know." Orin said with a chuckle. Quatre was spun around in the air as Orin played with him.  
  
Trowa drew his sword and threw it like a dagger at his magus. Orin turned his head and stopped the sword with a single glance. His mouth twitched into a humorless smile when he saw the frustration reflected in Trowa's emerald eyes. With a wave of his hand Orin sent the sword shooting back at its master to bury itself into the wall with a loud twang. Trowa had dodged his attacking sword and reached for Quatre's which lay on the ground. Orin said a word to the sword which lay imbedded in the wall and it immediately drew free. Slicing through the air the glittering weapon was propelled at Trowa. Trowa lifted Quatre's saber and parried his master-less sword without a second to spare. Orin's eyes flew to Quatre who was still hanging in the air. "Amur Zaphir." He said. Quatre had no time to prepare himself for the sudden impact of smacking against the hard floor. His legs and arms were stretched outwards and iron cuffs locked them to the ground.  
  
Snapping his fingers, the magus watched in satisfaction when the gleaming cuffs shortened and cut into Quatre's skin. Quatre's body arched against the pain as the cuffs sunk deeper and deeper into his skin. Hot blood leaked from Quatre's wrists and ankles to pool around him. Gasping, Quatre couldn't stop himself from crying out in his torment. Orin lifted his hand and the cuffs lifted just slightly before they sank back down in coordination with Orin's hand, slicing back into Quatre's ruptured flesh.  
  
Wufei felt his upper lip curl in anger when he heard Quatre's cry. He couldn't do anything at the moment though because he was having the fight of his life against Adaron. Calling up his magic Wufei tripped Adaron and kept him pressed to the ground. Usagi was knocked from the prince's grip when he fell to the ground and lay unconscious next to him. Wufei's eyes narrowed as he glared at Adaron's struggling body, "You deserve this you filth." He snarled before he dove forwards and stabbed Adaron through the chest. The prince of OZ let a single, foul exhalation escape his lips before he fell into the eternal sleep.  
  
Without any respect for the dead body Wufei searched each of the man's pockets. When his hand closed on a rose shaped gem he pulled it out with frantic energy. The gem glowed with the familiar red of Wufei's magus's light. Narrowing his eyes Wufei cursed Orich in his mind. Wufei lay the crystal on the ground and said a few words of magic before crushing the crystal under his heel. A silver mist curled up from the gem before hurtling into Usagi's body. Her chest rose sharply and she lurched upright. Gasping for breath she shivered uncontrollably. Her eyes swung around and were caught by Quatre's heaving body. "Cat!" She said in foggy disbelief. Wufei hauled Usagi upright and pointed at Orin, "Hurry up girl, destroy that man!"  
  
Orin laughed uproariously when he saw Quatre's wild eyes resting on him in their last attempt to show how much he hated the magus. Orin lifted his hand for the final strike but was swallowed by a ball of fire before he could do so. The cuffs on Quatre turned to water and he let his head roll back in relief.  
  
Wufei's obsidian eyes watched as Usagi, even in her weakened state, threw the largest amount of energy he had ever seen amassed in a single spell, at Orin. The spell wasn't enough though. As the dragon prince watched he saw that Orin was standing inside of the raging inferno without so much as a grimace of pain. Instead the magus winked at him and lifted his hands upwards. The fire ball that Usagi had created stretched upwards with Orin until it touched the ceiling. Orin's body appeared to dissolve in the fire as it lifted itself through the tunnel of fire to the ceiling.  
  
Wufei's hand tightened its hold on his sword, he was ready for anything. But the magus and the flame disappeared in a thunderclap and swirl of mist. "Please," Wufei turned to the blue-lipped girl in his arms, "I'm so cold." She said as she burrowed against his body. "I'm so cold." She repeated. Wufei swiftly unlatched his cloak and threw it around her shoulders. He swung her up into his arms and hurried over to Trowa who was bent over Quatre's body.  
  
Wufei practically threw Usagi into Trowa's arms as he placed his glowing hands over Quatre's bloody wrists. The gentle Hurda felt his eyebrows flutter in relief as the waves of healing magic spread through him. He fell asleep to the comforting thought that Usagi would be next to him.  
  
Trowa's heavy gaze lifted from his friend's sleeping body and came to rest on Adaron's prone form. He averted his gaze from the still-bleeding cadaver.  
  
"Arree, areen't yoouu suppo-sed to be a pri-nce?" Usagi asked as her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Trowa's somber, forest-green eyes set on Usagi's face; he nodded his head. "I am." Usagi nodded her head in understanding, as if that fact explained everything.  
  
"Keep her warm, she's cold from so many hours of being without her soul." Wufei said firmly. Tucking her freezing forehead into the crook of Trowa's neck she continued to shudder from the cold. "Is Cat going to be okay?" She chattered out to the green-eyed stranger. Wufei set his hands onto Quatre's ankles and glanced at the boy's relaxed face, "I think so." He said, answering for Trowa.  
  
"Oh good." She said faintly. Trowa held her closer to him, hoping he could give her some of his warmth. She sighed in thankfulness, "I must be in a dream." She mumbled as the warmth of the strangers body seeped into her.  
  
****************Alright people, I didn't upload for so long because of my finals, don't kill me! Hope you liked the chapter and um...keep checking the chapters I guess because I keep re-uploading them to fix them up here and there. Toodles- Qt~chan P.S. PLEASE REVIEW, it's the only thing that keeps my morale up when I'm in- between chapters.******************** 


	5. Blue Stones

Akbar  
  
Chapter 5 'It was only a dream.' She thought as she stretched her legs and felt her rough, homespun sheets against them. 'It was only a dream,' her heart sang as a warming desert breeze swept across her face. The very smells in the room confirmed to her that she really was back at her home with Mamoru and the four sweet-faced orphans. The smoky smell from the fireplace spiced the scent of the apple pie they had had last night. The smell of soap, sand, last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast were savored by Usagi. And for the first time in years, she opened her eyes to the new day without prompting. The stratified rock that stretched around her was golden in the sunlight and couldn't have been more beautiful. Tumbling out of the bed she swept away her curling bangs and was laughing from the glad moment. "It was only a dream Mamoru." She called out as she shoved the cloth barrier aside.  
  
Her eyes were instantaneously locked with Mamoru's. Another desert breeze blew through the room and through Usagi, leaving her empty. Her breath of joy had been taken from her and she clutched the curtain in her spasms of panic. The midnight sky that had been caught in Mamoru's eyes, was glazed and empty. His twisted body lay on the floor, rotting in its own crimson liquid. The stench rushed up to Usagi and forced itself down her throat and into her lungs, filling them with their disease. Her pale, pale hands flit away from the faded curtain and began to shake.  
  
"Don't worry love, death is a part of life." A voice from behind her said.  
  
Usagi swerved around to find Adaron's pronounced figure standing before her. Usagi's muscles seized in gross surprise and she covered her mouth in a silent cry of horror. "Come back to me." He said, stretching his hands out to her. His hands which had touched and probed at Usagi, his dirty, filthy hands were groping for her again. 'I am alone.' Her tears were squeezed out of her and she trembled and cowered away from him. "You're supposed to be dead." She sobbed, every inch of her skin was recoiling and shuddering in terror of its fate in Adaron's hands. "Come here." Adaron said sweetly smiling at her, absorbing her, sucking her up into his empty soul. He was drinking her soul away from her, he was taking away her laughter and her smiles and her pleasure's; because he had had none. And no matter how hard she tried, Usagi couldn't tear herself from his gaze, from his power. Her wounds opened and began to bleed out. Adaron was taking her blood too. Usagi swayed, paralyzed to the spot. As she felt her very last ebb of life being snatched away from her, Usagi was seized by a pair of iced hands and shaken violently. Usagi was twisted back around, away from Adaron's haunting gaze, to stare into Orin's milky orbs. The magus's blind eyes frightened Usagi, they were like two all-seeing moons. "Miserable girl," he screamed at her, spitting in her face, "Miserable girl!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
Usagi came awake screaming and fighting with the ox-like strength of someone who wanted to keep living. Her un-dilated eyes were shocked by a harsh light and her hands began itching from the feel of the coarse sheets wrapped around her. When she felt Orin's hands still on her shoulders she felt her distressed magic explode out of her. The grip on her shoulders was immediately torn away, leaving her to sweat in her blind fear. Still sightless from the piercing light she clutched the blankets to her. Usagi could feel the strange presence of her magic as it swirled around her, warm and protective. When Usagi felt the trickle of dust on her head and the shaking of the Earth beneath her, she was enveloped by another surge of panic. This time Usagi could feel the magic's smashing fury as it spilled from her and gouged the walls and ceilings in its might.  
  
Another pair of hands seemed to come from out nowhere and grab her arms tightly. Usagi's magic rushed back to her and would have crushed the life out her attacker had he not said her name so lovingly.  
  
"Usagi, stop, what're you doing? It's just me, Cat." Instantly, Usagi's magic dissipated. Her disbelief and desire at the statement being true was pounding through her veins so violently that she was afraid she was going to burst open. Closing her straining eyes Usagi clenched the sheets, "Cat?"  
  
"Quatre, Quatre's my real name Usagi."  
  
The voice and the name stilled her frayed mind. Shivering Usagi's hands slowly reached forwards. Her fingers touched firm, well-defined cheeks and went up to trace the bridge of a proud nose. "Quatre?" She mumbled hesitantly, "Quatre..." Her mind was buzzing with the information.  
  
Quatre reached up and clutched her hands in his, "Yes. I've come back to you."  
  
Usagi pulled her hands from his and clutched at her aching head. A shiver went up and down her spine, it was starting to get cold again. "Why can't I see?" She whined, pulling her knees up against her body.  
  
"Open your eyes again, you opened them too fast before." Quatre's heart was pounding, when she opened her eyes she would see him again for the first time in 5 years. He was afraid of what she would think or say or do. But at the same time his heart was pounding in exhilaration; he would at last be able to look into a pair of azure eyes that he had longed to look into every second of the five years he had been away.  
  
Usagi's tightly clamped eyes blinked open. The first thing they saw was the black-clad figure of a much-abused Hurda. Her sparkling blue eyes lifted and, almost warily looked into Quatre's. She let out a long breath when their eyes met, "It's you, it's really you... And me," She lifted her hands and stared at them, "I'm alive, again." Under the sheets she wiggled her toes, "I really am alive again." When she lifted her gaze from Quatre she realized that the harsh light that had pierced her eyes had been nothing more than a small oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.  
  
"You were always alive Usagi, just soulless for a day or so." Quatre replied.  
  
Usagi shivered again and shifted her position so that she was closer to Quatre. The Hurda swallowed in nervousness. "Are we still in the desert?" Usagi asked softly. Quatre frowned at the question, "Where else would we be?"  
  
"I don't know...it's just so cold here. Are we in a cave?" She asked as she gazed at the sloping ceiling above her. Quatre abruptly rose up from the bed when he saw Usagi's blood. "You're bleeding!" He exclaimed in shock.  
  
"Really? I can't feel anything." Usagi said unperturbedly.  
  
"Wufei!" Quatre called out, "Come quickly!"  
  
Usagi winced as she looked about the room, the temperature seemed to be steadily dropping. The room had been whitewashed and adorned with dried flowers and paintings of swallows. Long ropes of pepper and garlic hung from the ceiling which was crisscrossed by wooden beams. She saw the evidence of her magic strength all about the room. There were deep fracture lines in the walls and a couple beams above her had cracks running along their lengths. A drawer or table that had stood in the corner of the room had been turned into splinters. The room was, otherwise, barren of any furniture besides the bed. When Usagi's gaze traveled to the doorway she gaped in amazement. The man, no, the boy standing there bore a frightening resemblance to Mamoru. His midnight black eyes, which were resting on her, were unmoving and strong. And because he was shirtless Usagi could see the stunning dragon tattoo that had been emblazoned on his chest. She then became aware of the curious faces and bodies that stood behind the boy. The pane-less window and the door-less doorway, which led out into the hallway, were filled with these curious people's faces. As the temperature dropped another ten degrees she stared back at them wondering how they could dress so lightly in the cold.  
  
Wufei stepped down the three-or-so steps and entered the room. Murmuring a few words under his breath he held out his glowing hands to her. Usagi's brows furrowed in confusion, she glanced into Wufei's eyes wonderingly. Quatre felt an uncalled-for spark of jealousy as Wufei gently took Usagi's hands in his. Her eyelids sealed shut and she held Wufei's hands tightly, almost desperately, in hers now. The rhythmic sound of her breathes didn't sooth Quatre at all as he watched her cling to Wufei. Quatre felt his body tingle when Usagi's eyes slid open to reveal their smoldering pits. Dropping her head abruptly she continued to clasp Wufei's hands. Her flaxen hair dripped down like a silk sheet and shielded her face from Quatre.  
  
When Wufei finally unclasped his hands from Usagi's, her skin had regained its healthy color.  
  
"Are you warm now?" Wufei asked as he massaged his hands. Usagi touched her flush cheeks and nodded. "Why was it so cold?" Usagi savored the feeling of being warm.  
  
"A symptom of the spell." Wufei said laconically. His obsidian eyes went from Quatre and then to Usagi, seeing the obvious discomfort between them. "We'll be waiting for both of you in the Olin." Turning, Wufei left the room, shooing the masses of people away from the doorway and window as he went. Usagi stared at the clearing doorway for a long moment before she allowed herself to look at Quatre.  
  
"You've gotten older." Usagi finally said in a tender voice.  
  
Quatre smiled weakly at her, "Five years older."  
  
Usagi smiled back at him, swallowing Quatre in its warmth. "Could you heal my wounds?" She asked, indicating her back.  
  
Quatre's eyebrows leapt in remembrance, "I'd forgotten. Let me get Heero for you, he's the best at healing." He rushed to the door and was surprised when her hand clamped onto his shoulder. She had leapt from the bed and grabbed him just before he would have left the room.  
  
"Wait!" She said, her eyes showed their alarm, "Don't leave just yet. Not yet." She exclaimed. Then the years upon years of guilt and self-hate burst from Quatre. He couldn't stop himself from clutching at her hands like a child and saying, "Forgive me Usagi, oh please." The plea left his dry throat, "I didn't want to leave you, I really didn't, but it was for the better of all the people in OZ who were suffering."  
  
Usagi's eyes narrowed and she grew pale. Uttering a thin laugh she lifted Quatre's head so that she could look once more into his eyes. "I never thought that I would see you again. Don't ruin it." She mumbled, her skin was pale as if in anger and her hands fell to her side. Quatre felt his heart squeeze in its sickening grief, "Usagi, will you ever forgive me?"  
  
Usagi leaned forwards and pressed her lips to Quatre's cheek, "That's what friends are for." She answered indistinctly. Quatre felt his mind somersault at the knowledge, 'Friends?'  
  
"Are we interrupting?"  
  
Usagi and Quatre looked up to find Duo and Heero in the entranceway. Duo's arms were crossed over his chest and he bore the look of an exasperated child. When Usagi's murderous gaze flitted to Heero, she saw that his expressions were just as blank as when she had last seen him. Quatre looked hopefully into Usagi's face but he could only see the coldness that had come from the depths of her. Without a word, Quatre broke away from Usagi and disappeared into the hallway.  
  
"Jeez, you guys should go get a room with a door if you're going to do things like that." Duo said huffily. Usagi raised her voice slightly, "I would never love a man like Quatre, he's a man apart from me."  
  
Duo glanced down the hallway to see if Quatre had heard the harsh remark. The shifter winced when he saw his friend slump heavily against the corridor wall, he had. Duo hopped into the room and dragged Heero with him, he didn't want to exploit Quatre's pain anymore than necessary. "That was nice of you, breaking the guy's heart." Duo said viciously, and before she could reply he gestured to Heero, "Here's Heero anyway, the healing wonder."  
  
Usagi felt her heart pound in her chest, she was so angry. "I don't want him to touch me." She snapped. Duo blinked in astonishment, "You're bleeding all over the place and you're telling me you don't want to get those wounds sealed up?"  
  
"And I thought Hurda's were supposed to save people." Usagi said bitterly to Heero.  
  
Duo's eyebrows practically shot to his hairline, "Hey, what're you inclinatin'?"  
  
Usagi grit her teeth and glared at Heero, "I wouldn't have had my soul sucked out of my body and nearly gotten raped by Adaron if it weren't for Heero!" She nearly hissed the last words. Heero stared at Usagi for a swift moment before, lightning fast, his hand shot out and wheeled Usagi around so that her lacerated back was in his view. With a single move he had pinned her to the floor. Planting his hands on her back he sent a quick bout of healing magic onto her back before rolling off of her. Usagi was scarlet in her embarrassment and anger, rolling over she opened her mouth to scream something at Heero when Duo stepped in-between them.  
  
"Don't yell at him, it's probably not his fault." Duo said stiffly. Usagi snorted, "I had to suffer the death of my husband and my children to OZ and then my soul was taken and I was touched and prodded and made to do things that I would rather impale myself then do. And you're telling me not to blame him when it's his fault!"  
  
"Yes, or at least forgive him!" Duo glared condescendingly at Usagi, "Heero can't help being the way he is."  
  
Usagi's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Then I can't help hating him." Raising herself up she pierced Duo with her seething gaze. "Why would you want to protect a wraith anyway?"  
  
"Why?" Duo said indignantly, "Because it's wrong for people to shun him and make him suffer just because he's a wraith!"  
  
"I think I've suffered more than either of you. What makes you think that you've suffered more than I have? You don't even know how it feels to have your mind screaming constantly at your body to stop whatever its doing because it's lost control!" She yelled at Duo; her eyes were becoming teary in remembrance, "You don't know!"  
  
Duo stared at Usagi in bitter shock, "I don't know how it feels to lose control of my body? Is that what you're saying Usagi?" His lips lifted in a wistful smile, "because I of all people know what that feels like Usagi, I'm a shifter."  
  
Usagi's lips flew open in amazement and she stumbled backwards.  
  
"For two years, much longer then your single day of being helpless," Duo retorted, "I couldn't control whether I was animal or man. I couldn't control my shifting at all. And you think you've suffered? I lost my family and my friends, everything! And you're sobbing and throwing a tantrum because of one day where you had no control? Over a few people's lives! Goddamn it Usagi, I'm still a shifter, I will always be one because I just am. You, you still have your control, your life, your future. So I don't know what you're so angry about." Duo's voice had fallen to a low whisper. His hands hung limply by his sides showing his open defeat of him against the world.  
  
Usagi felt a tear streak across her cheek and she rubbed it away. "It's still," she whispered between her skipping breaths, "hard."  
  
"You have Quatre, and all of us and...and your smile." Duo ruffled his hair so that his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. "I'm still not allowed anywhere near my home or family because of the shame. Because I couldn't control my shifting they abandoned me." Duo shook his bangs away, the indignant flush filling his cheeks again, "What are you so angry at, what can you possibly be so mad about?" His violet eyes were like a cut-out of the heavens, "who, are you so angry at?"  
  
Usagi's cast her eyes to the floor and let her heart sink. She shook her head and covered her face before anyone could see her escaping tears. Duo took a step forward and touched Usagi, "Why are you so angry?" He asked quietly.  
  
Usagi lifted her glistening eyes. In parting her lips she found that she couldn't speak, her throat was too swollen with emotion. When Duo's agile arms reached forwards and enveloped her she couldn't stop her tears from spilling forth. She pulled Duo tightly to her so that she could smell his dusty scent and feel the coarseness of his shirt, so that she could feel what reality was again. She sobbed and cried into his chest, "Why me?" He ran his hands up and down her back, trying to sooth her. He tried to tell her that she wasn't alone and that she was beautiful and full and should never cry. But he could only rub her back and try to sooth her, try to help her come to that conclusion by herself.  
  
Her toes skimmed the ground as she was carried to the squashy bed. In Duo's lap Usagi soaked in his warmth as she shook out her wracking despair. She hardly noticed the switch from his arms to his lap because of the rending sensation of her aches and pains flooding from her core. When Usagi became quieter she felt a comforting weariness in her bones and a sense of peace that had wound itself around her. Duo wrapped his arms around her still- heaving body. He loved the sensation of her small body against his.  
  
"You're all wet." She sniffed moments later, her voice was muffled against his shoulder. Duo eased back from her and unbuttoned his black shirt to throw it into some corner. Usagi stiffened at the action, Duo was still a stranger to her. Glancing behind her, Usagi discovered that Heero had left the two alone in the room. Shrinking slightly, Usagi licked her cracked lips.  
  
"Look Usagi, if I had wanted to have sex with you I would have taken off my pants and said those were wet too." Duo said with a laugh.  
  
Usagi giggled at the comment but soon fell into serious contemplation. Meeting Duo's eyes she uncertainly set her head down onto his bare shoulder. Her tired and sore eyes closed briefly before she wrapped her arms around Duo. "I was so angry Duo." She said hoarsely.  
  
"I could tell." Duo murmured, smiling slightly.  
  
"I couldn't believe Heero would leave me...I couldn't believe Quatre would leave me...and everybody was dead, I even died for a day."  
  
Shivering she hugged Duo closer, "I'm tired of living in a world where everyday I get to wake up and know that everything I had is dead." She whispered, clutching Duo harder.  
  
"Don't be tired, you never know if the next day will be better." Duo said gently into her ear, "You never know." Usagi's hands found the tie that held Duo's hair in its tight braid. Pulling on the band she drew back to stare at Duo's released hair. "You have long hair like me." She said with a smooth smile, "I never thought another man would have long hair like mine."  
  
"It's not quite as long as yours." He said modestly. Usagi shrugged as she let her hand run through his hazel locks, he had beautiful hair.  
  
"Usagi," Duo said firmly as he removed her hands from his hair, "Why were you so angry at Heero?"  
  
Usagi met Duo's remarkable violet eyes steadily, "Because he left me after he had promised that he wouldn't. He had promised," Usagi's eyes grew distant, "he left me just like Quatre did."  
  
"Is that why you were so mad at him? Not that you didn't have the right or anything after what happened to you." Duo said lightly.  
  
Usagi grinned sourly, "...It was partly because I couldn't believe that Heero would just step aside to that magus so that my soul could be taken. And I was partly angry because I didn't have anyone else to scream at, I couldn't scream at Quatre even though I wanted to."  
  
Duo stretched his arms back and began to re-braid his hair, "Why Quatre, he's a good guy. Isn't he?" One of his brows was furrowed in doubt of Quatre being 'bad'.  
  
"He is good, he's always been good." Usagi said wanly.  
  
They sat in silence for the longest time, each sharing their warmth. It was only when a stale breeze rolled into the room that both of them awoke from their soul-searching. Duo blew a strand of her hair from his shoulder, "We should go for dinner now. Are you alright now?" Usagi nodded her head. Sleepily she untangled herself from him and stepped onto the cool, earthen floor. Duo went and picked up his shirt from the corner. Making a face when he felt the damp spot on his shirt he bunched the black cloth into a ball. "I'm going to go and change shirts, if you just take a left you'll find yourself in the Olin." He said mildly.  
  
"But I'm in my nightclothes." Usagi said in an excuse to not be alone.  
  
Duo eyed her skeptically, "You're wearing what you were wearing the night of the ball Usagi. That is DEFinitely not a nightgown."  
  
Usagi's eyes flew downwards at the statement to take in the sheer velvet cloth and gauzy sleeves. Making a face worse then Duo's she shook her head. "I'm not wearing these. I want new clothes."  
  
Duo waved a hand, "Well, get them after dinner."  
  
"No, now! I'm not wearing this thing a moment longer!" She said urgently. Duo rolled his eyes, "I think it looks nice on you."  
  
"I don't care. I don't want to wear it anymore, is there some change of clothes that I could have? I don't want to wear these anymore!" She said fiercely. Usagi didn't want to have anything to do with OZ, even if it was just a dress. Duo smiled, "Relax, I'm sure we'll find someone to lend you some clothes." Lightly stepping into the hallway he motioned for Usagi to follow him and be quiet. As they walked, Usagi's bare feet took immense pleasure in feeling the sand and dirt beneath them once again. The hallway was dimly lit and each doorway that they came across was like the yawning mouth of darkness. Duo's room was the only one that had light pouring out from it and into the hallway. They both turned into the room, Usagi with apprehension, and Duo with anticipation.  
  
Heero looked up from his bed which was across the room from Duo's to see who had entered. Usagi froze when she spotted Heero. But there was no hate left inside of her because she had emptied it all out onto Duo's shirt. Biting her lip in nervousness Usagi met Heero's eyes, "I'm sorry I got so angry at you Heero." She waited for his reply in such a state of anxiousness that she was sure that she'd faint in a matter of seconds.  
  
"It won't happen again." Was all that he said before returning to the stack of parchments that lay beside him on the bed.  
  
"Here you are Usagi." Duo said as he stuffed his black breeches and black shirt into her hands. Usagi stared at the breeches, "Can't you show me to a woman so that I can get a skirt? I've never worn breeches before."  
  
Duo laughed at the comment, "Oh please, breeches are really comfortable and nobody's going to look twice at you. Every woman here works at least once in her lifetime and she wears breeches when she does it so don't worry about appearance."  
  
Usagi shrugged her shoulders and went into the adjoining room where she quickly dressed. When she emerged from the room she had to hide her smile at the fact that Duo was in another, clean black shirt. Duo eyed Usagi critically, "If I didn't know any better I'd say my breeches were tighter then your dress."  
  
Usagi flushed and looked indignantly at the breeches, "You told me to wear them! And if they're 'that' tight on me then how can YOU possibly wear them?"  
  
"I don't wear them anymore, they're way too tight for me." At the face she was making Duo quickly came up with something to say that would ease her, "...Um, I guess it looks nice, for a guy anyway." He added with a chuckle. Usagi sighed, pulling at the loose black shirt as she did so.  
  
"Heero are you going to come with me and Usagi to the Olin?"  
  
Heero didn't even glance at Duo as he spoke, "I already went."  
  
"Alright, see you later then hero."  
  
Usagi made a sound of surprise as she followed Duo out of the room. "You have a nickname for him?"  
  
The braided Hurda grinned widely, "Much to his annoyance, yes. I can't wait to eat, I'm so hungry."  
  
Usagi nodded her head, her eyes and ears were focusing on the large room that was at the end of the hall. Streamers and flowers were hanging across the entrance to the room and she was desperately wondering what was behind it. The sounds were like honey to her ears, laughter and music.  
  
Quatre looked down at the table when he saw Usagi enter the room. Trowa noticed and sighed. "She can't hate you forever Quatre."  
  
"It's easy for you to say." Quatre said briskly as he reached for another piece of bread. Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "I killed her family so I'm just as guilty as you," the prince said without much ado. The hubbub of the Olin easily filled their cheerless silence. Quatre happened to look up and spotted Wufei making his way towards their table. Quatre tasted a tang of jealousy when he saw the Dragon Clan's heir. Immersed in his doubts, Quatre silently wondered if Wufei and Usagi were possibly having an affair together. His mind was still burning from the way Usagi's eyes had smoldered when Wufei had touched her. Quatre almost couldn't bring himself to be angry at Usagi. The Asian Hurda was extraordinarily fit and handsome. The blue-eyed warrior allowed himself a wry smile at the fact, princes were always stunningly handsome. Wufei seated himself next to Trowa, his fingers were wrapped around the handle of a steaming mug. "She finally came." He said as he covered his mouth to hide his yawn. Leaning forwards Wufei let his eyes slide shut for a minute or so. He was still weary after their long journey to the canyon camp.  
  
"I should be going to bed, I'm just as tired as any of us." Quatre mumbled, feigning a yawn. Trowa nodded his head, "I'll be following you soon. I'll tell you if anything develops."  
  
Quatre hardly had time to nod his head before he escaped into the hallway. Once Quatre had left Wufei allowed himself to finally touch his burning shoulder, grimacing as he did so. Trowa noticed the movement and was stabbed by surprise from the meaning of the small gesture. He knew, as well as any other Hurda, that the right shoulder, the one Wufei was hesitantly touching, was the shoulder that was branded with a curling H, marking him as a Hurda. Every Hurda, after taking their oath to protect magic and the people had to be branded on their right shoulder. The brand was then spelled by an elder Hurda.  
  
Throughout a Hurda's life, doubt and regret would plague them. This was because from the moment they were branded they weren't allowed to leave their solitary path for even a split second. One taste of freedom could be enough to draw a Hurda forever away from his lifelong mission: protect the people and magic of the desert. This was why the brand spelled with fire, was created. The brand helped cure the plaguing disease of doubt and regret for a Hurda very quickly. A burning ache in the shoulder of the Hurda would spread throughout their entire body, wracking it with a burning fever. If the Hurda's doubt continued for too long, the fever would catch to his brain and kill him.  
  
"A Hurda with doubt is as good as a dead Hurda." Trowa quoted inaudibly. Slipping his hands under the table Trowa clamped onto the handle of his sword. "Does your shoulder hurt?" His luminous green eyes fastened onto Wufei's face, scrutinizing it for any signs of pain. A corner of Wufei's lips went up in a smirk, he had heard the silent accusation from Trowa.  
  
"You mean the Hurda mark, Trowa? ...Yes, it's trying to burn all doubt out of my mind as I speak. " Wufei showed the glowing red H on his bared shoulder to Trowa, "the Hurda mark burns me every now and then to remind me that my family isn't as important ...as the people and the magic" Wufei said coolly.  
  
Trowa's grip on his sword relaxed, he understood very well what Wufei meant. "Without the mark I would have stopped trying to save the people of OZ long ago." Trowa said, his voice was nearly a whisper. Under his shirt and cloak Trowa could almost feel where his Hurda mark was, where it had burned. "The odds are against us." Trowa's hands completely left his sword and he continued to meet Wufei's unreadable gaze. "I doubted the strength of the Hurda's once, long ago." Trowa said, a tinge of longing was in his voice.  
  
Wufei shrugged and lifted the warm mug to his lips, "Being raised in my family makes it no easier to bear this mark. The spell that was put on the mark means to keep us to our oath 'To destroy OZ and protect the people'." He said bitterly, fire spat up in his coal-eyes, "I want to quit this endless journey to death...how are we going to even come close to OZ's king? They have my family, his soldiers, wraiths, Orich and Orin, and the crystals all against us." Wufei said broodingly, "how, with one girl, and five Hurda's, are we supposed to kill him?" Wufei grit his teeth as the Hurda mark sent a particularly volatile wave of hot pain down his backside.  
  
"I don't know." Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "But I am bound to the mission..." His voice was dull and tired, "...I'm only glad that we have Heero with us. He's been planning the end of OZ for centuries now."  
  
The Dragon prince's forked tongue slipped out, "Heero's mark, the Auri-un, must burn like a hellfire." Trowa nodded his head in agreement, "He's bound to his mission by a higher order." They became silent when they saw Usagi and Duo weaving their way through the tables towards them.  
  
"Hey you guys." Duo chimed out. Before the two could say anything more Duo collapsed onto the cushion next to Wufei. Usagi managed to find a place between Wufei and Trowa on the low, rounded table. Duo's head whipped around towards Wufei when he smelled the strong odor of liquor. "Are you drinking ale Wufei?" Duo glanced at the steaming mug in Wufei's hand before he shoved his nose into it and took a deep whiff. "You are!" Duo exclaimed in gleeful surprise, "You're drinking ale! I thought you said the Dragon clan didn't drink such a foul liquid!" He said, wagging a disapproving finger at Wufei.  
  
Wufei looked disgusted as he pushed the mug towards Duo, "I have no desire of finishing it now that you stuffed your filthy face into it."  
  
Duo grinned widely, "Anytime Wufei," Duo punched out before downing the mug of ale in one go. Usagi watched in alarm as Duo called for a jug of ale. She watched Duo intently, looking for any signs of illness. Usagi gave a quick look up at Trowa and Wufei to see what they thought of Duo's dangerous drinking. Wufei was able to instantly snare her in his unsmiling eyes, "Disgusting isn't he?"  
  
Usagi had to laugh at the comment that was said so seriously. She pushed back her rampant gold hair and eagerly reached for the loaf of bread lying in the center of the table. She was in her own world, a world full of pink clouds and sunrises and sunsets. Trowa longed to be a part of it, to have her show him how she did it: made herself happy. He felt a tug at his elbow and he was drawn to her porcelain face. "Excuse me, could you pass me the jug right there?"  
  
Her gaze continued to burn a hole in him as he passed her the jug of water. Usagi unceremoniously dumped some of the water into her cup and guzzled it down. She was too thirsty to care for propriety. As she reached for the jug again she spoke to Trowa, "Aren't you the son of Treize Kushrenada?" She poured more water for herself and peered inquisitively into Trowa's face.  
  
"I am. Or I was." He answered simply. Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were, but I wasn't sure..."  
  
"Hey Wufei's a prince too, you know." Duo said around the meat in his mouth. Usagi shrugged her shoulders, "I know, I could tell by his tattoo Duo." She stopped what she was doing when she realized that Duo was on his third mug of ale. Tugging at Trowa's cloak urgently she leaned forwards and whispered, "Isn't it dangerous for someone to drink that much ale?" She asked worriedly. Trowa felt a faint heat in his cheeks as her breath tickled his ear. What made it worse was that Duo was flashing his uncontrollable violet eyes laughingly at Trowa.  
  
"Well?" She asked, tugging on his arm insistently. Trowa shook his head. Usagi frowned and glanced at Trowa under his long bangs, "You don't talk much do you?"  
  
He was surprised by the statement and could find nothing to say to it. Usagi smiled at his lack of words, "See...I knew it, you're one of the silent types. I suppose it's because you wouldn't be able to find much to talk about with your family."  
  
Trowa's brows drew together, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Well," Usagi began slowly, she was still anxiously watching Duo as he went onto his fourth mug of ale, "you're obviously on my side so that means you don't like OZ. Why else would you have saved me?" Her wide-eyes turned to Trowa, waiting this time for a spoken answer.  
  
Trowa could imagine her head set with a beautiful tiara studded with diamonds and inlaid with gold. He could imagine her by his side as his queen wearing dresses of silk and fine linen. But as he opened his mouth to speak he realized none of this would ever happen. She would never sit quietly at a table like a doll or do as she was told. She would be a beautiful bird in a marvelous gold cage. "Because you have the crystal inside of you."  
  
Usagi's mouth dropped open. "How'd you know about that?"  
  
Duo snorted, "You didn't exactly keep it a secret. You told Adaron and Trowa figured it out for himself, how else would a commoner have such immense magic powers?" Usagi bit her lip, "I didn't mean to tell Adaron."  
  
"We know, you were under his control then so there was nothing you could have done about it anyway."  
  
At that precise moment ten or so men stormed into the Olin. Usagi watched in amazement as the group quickly circled a struggling figure. Each man had a thick iron chain in his hand. The chains wound around the prisoner's thin body, keeping him from escaping. The only thing that Usagi could make out was a pair of crimson eyes peeking out from between the chains.  
  
"Where are the newcomers?" A man yelled gruffly as he stuffed his saber back into its sheath. Trowa and Wufei rose up in response to the question, Duo simply turned to stare at the gruff men. The people in the Olin were silent, watching as the three were addressed.  
  
"We caught this man trying to enter into the canyon. He said he must speak to you all." The rough looking man eyed Usagi beadily when he spoke the words. He suddenly yanked on his chain in response to the captive's renewed struggles.  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and sighed, "Why don't you go and find Quatre and stay with him for awhile while we deal with him." Duo suggested to Usagi while he pulled himself up into a standing position. Usagi rose up next to him, "Who is he Duo?" She asked, gesturing to the captive.  
  
Duo grinned offhandedly at her, "Quatre's probably at the top of the canyon. Tell him nothing of what's just happened. Me and the others will deal with it."  
  
He pushed her towards the opposite doorway, away from the captive, before joining Wufei and Trowa as they silently made their way towards the encircled prisoner. Usagi took a last look at the serious procession behind her before she escaped from the deadening atmosphere. All the time she was trying to remember where she had seen those ruby eyes before. Continuing down the hallway it occurred to her that she didn't know where she was going. Looking hopefully up at the far wall she spotted, to her relief, three hands pointing in different directions with words underneath.  
  
Reading the crumbling text under the hand that pointed upwards Usagi turned right and found the ladder it had spoken of. Climbing it she calmly thought of what she would say to Quatre. She would apologize and...Usagi didn't really know what she'd do after that. The ladder led her up to another hallway lined with rooms, rooms with doors that were locked. Usagi's only greeting in the cold upper floor was the distant and spectral iron-barred exit at the end of the hallway. She could just make out the soft glow of the night sky stretching its yearning arms into the hall. Usagi laid her hand on the smooth rock wall to guide her down the dim corridor. Her bare feet slapped hollowly against the floor as she walked, she grew more nervous with every step. She only stopped when she came to the barred exit of the hall.  
  
She pressed her face to the thick bars and peered out. The royal blue sky stretching above her was an awesome sight. The stars were sparkling gemstones sewn into a blanket made of a marvelous silk. And, swollen like a fruit about to burst, the moon hung by itself in the middle of the vast heavens. It alone dominated the night sky with its refulgent, pot-holed face. With trembling hands Usagi reluctantly undid the latch to the gate and stepped out. The scorching scent of the desert instantly rose up to meet her in a playful breeze. The canyon's top was completely flat and seemed to reach for the sky before dropping away sharply into another flat face.  
  
The night sky and the sharp drop from canyon top to canyon bottom couldn't distract her from searching for Quatre though. Usagi nearly missed spotting Quatre because of his disguising black garments. His sun bleached hair had been the only thing to alert Usagi to his presence. Curling her fingers into fists she courageously made her way to Quatre who was sitting at the very edge of the cliff, staring into the sky. Whether he heard her coming or not, most likely he did, he didn't bother to help her walk the narrowing path to him. It was only when she collapsed down next to him that he spoke.  
  
"Do you remember what my father told us about the stars when we were little Usagi?"  
  
Usagi turned her face and looked at Quatre for the first time in a long time. His face had thinned a little but he still had his proudly curving nose and expressive mouth. "Yes...but tell it to me again." She murmured while looking out into the stretching night-sky.  
  
"My father said that shooting stars meant you were in true love and were meant, by fate, to always be together. Then he told us that he hadn't had shooting stars with his first two wives who were crooks but with his third wife Sari he had five shooting stars. He told us that the five stars were a sign of future fortune and true love." If Usagi could have seen into his face she would have seen Quatre's eyes glowing with passion. Casting her eyes downward Usagi timidly touched Quatre's hand. "It was wrong of me to be so mad at you." She said before Quatre could go on.  
  
"Was it really Usagi?" Quatre's face twisted in pain for Usagi, and for himself. When Quatre saw Usagi smiling at him, the same smile he had seen so long ago, he forgave her and stopped his mourning for their lost years together. In that instant he fell in love again with her honest mouth and smiling blue eyes.  
  
"If you keep asking questions like that, it'll be hard to forgive you Cat Raberba Winner." Usagi said, she smiled at the distant moon before turning her face to Quatre. "I missed you..." Seeing his solemn face Usagi continued, "I was angry that you had left me so long about but that was wrong of me." She reached forwards and held back his shadowing bangs, "How about this, as a friend I'll forgive you and you forgive me. Okay?"  
  
Quatre had to smile at the simplicity of the matter, "Anything to resolve this."  
  
Usagi nodded her head, "It's a deal then." Her hand remained in his soft hair for just a minute more before she withdrew it. "You really do look older now Cat."  
  
Quatre shrugged, "So do you. You look a lot older."  
  
Usagi felt her forehead bunch in regret of the comment because she didn't want to look old. Being wrinkly and 'looking older' she had thought would happen a lot later in her life. She didn't pick at the subject though, their wound was still fresh and had just begun to heal. The wind tickled her feet as she swung them back and forth against the canyon wall, wondering what she should say next. Lying down onto the hard ground, with her legs still dangling out, she tugged at Quatre's shoulder. "Come down here with me. Sitting at the edge of a canyon isn't very safe." Quatre rolled onto his side and propped his head up on an elbow so that his face loomed only a few inches from her face. Usagi smothered her laugh, "Not exactly what I was expecting."  
  
"Usagi are you in love with anyone?" Quatre asked, studying her. Usagi must have shown her alarm at the question because Quatre rolled onto his backside with a sigh. "I had hoped that you weren't, because I was going to ask you to marry me."  
  
Usagi swiftly rose up, "You were? Just like that?" She said in amazement. Quatre nodded his head, "But it seems that you're in love with someone else."  
  
"Well, no I'm not. But I can't believe that you'd want to marry me!" She said, stumbling over her own tongue.  
  
Quatre's sad features broke into a grin, "So you're not in love with Wufei then?"  
  
Usagi snorted, "He's already engaged to somebody." At the thought, Usagi instantly remembered where she had seen the rose-red eyes before. At the ball she had met with the princess for a moment or two but she was the kind of person that you could never forget. Usagi remembered the girl had been very agitated for a princess that's life was based around radiating calmness.  
  
"Quatre, you remember the girl that Wufei's been arranged with, don't you?"  
  
Quatre shrugged his shoulders, "How would I remember something like that?"  
  
"Well I think that she was just captured as a prisoner."  
  
"What?" Quatre shot upright at the words, "That's impossible, I and the canyon dwellers are the only ones who know the way to get to this canyon! If she made it here then it's possible that the whole of OZ could be right behind her!"  
  
Usagi sprang upright and dashed to the tunnel-like entrance into the canyon's interior. "I'll race you there." She called out as she ran.  
  
*****************************************  
  
The coarse canyon soldiers shuffled uneasily around their captive, still holding tightly onto their chains. Wufei, Duo, and Trowa entered the room behind the men, waiting to see who would be unveiled underneath the thick chains. The canyon soldier's thick arms, together in one motion, jerked the length of their chains. The shackles began to instantly unwind and fall away. Loose tan breeches and then a baggy yellow top were revealed before the chains unraveled from the hostage's face. A perfect complexion and violent red eyes were mind-bending features for the Hurda's who had expected an unshaven, hard-faced desert man. As the final chain unwound from around the captive's head there was a snap as a hair band came loose. Rich locks of sable hair cascaded down and framed what could now be assuredly defined as a female's face.  
  
Trowa's brow rose in elegant surprise at the sight of the wily female standing before them. Wufei was the only one in the room who hadn't taken the arrival of the slim female so graciously. Taking quick steps forwards he grabbed his wife by the arm and shook her violently. "What do you think you're doing here Rei?" His voice was filled with malice.  
  
Before Rei could speak, she was roughly hauled away from her husband by a worried looking Duo.  
  
"Easy Wufei, she's your wife." Duo said as he supported Rei. The princess gave Duo a haughty look before shrugging Duo off. "I brought you something from OZ that will help you." Rei said in defiance to Wufei's rage. Reaching into her pocket she proudly pulled out a gleaming blue stone. The large, blob of a stone shone innocently in the chandelier light of the cave-like room. Upon seeing it Wufei's hand clasped onto the handle of his sword while his other reached out and slapped the stone out of Rei's hand to send it skittering onto the floor until it hit the far wall and shattered. Rei yelped in pain from Wufei's fierce action and held her hand against her chest protectively. "Why did you do that? I was just trying to help you! That's a crystal of power!" Rei yelled at Wufei as tears sprung to her eyes.  
  
"There is no place for woman like you here! How many times must that be told to you, you infuriating woman! That is a tracking stone." Wufei drew his sword as he spoke and sent every ounce of hate in him to her through his blazing black eyes. "The stone was a device that allows OZ to track its movements. Now because of you OZ will be storming the canyon gates in a matter of days!" Rei collapsed to the floor in wide-eyed shock, "I wanted to help you!" She cried out finally in frustration.  
  
"How's the tracking stone work?" Duo asked curiously as he examined the hundreds of blue shards that littered the floor.  
  
"Duo get away from tha," Wufei was cut off as the hundreds of blue shards erupted into the air. The shifter had lifted his arm in time to save his eyes but nothing else. The blue splinters stung with a poison worse then any snakes'. They went straight through Duo's skin and buried themselves into his upraised arm and chest. The eyes of the shifter widened into twin violet moons as daggers of pain rocketed through him. Letting loose a cry of pain he fell to the floor in the form of a thrashing wolf and then rose as a lumbering, clawing bear. Maddened with pain Duo swiped at the walls and people with the blizzard blindness of his intense hurt.  
  
Rei was dragged to the side of the room just as Duo shifted into a python that would have taken two men to circle round. Whipping his knifelike tail in the air, hissing, and shooting venom out of his gaping mouth Duo suddenly shifted into the heaving form of a sweating stallion. Scrambling to its legs Duo struck out at the walls and screamed only as a horse could scream. Trowa hurried forwards with his hands thrust forwards, full of sparking green magic. Wufei had his sword before him in a defensive gesture but wasn't saying a prayer for protection but was instead reciting a hurried spell.  
  
When the four trembling legs of the steed finally gave way Duo rose up again as a snarling tiger. Trowa threw out great walls of green magic to contain Duo as he lashed out in pain. Just as Wufei lowered his sword and sent his spell soaring to Duo, Usagi and Quatre tumbled into the room. The spell Wufei had sent split into four and wrapped around Duo's velvety paws and held him to the ground.  
  
Usagi gasped when she saw the snarling tiger. With each of its massive efforts to lift its paws Wufei's spell became a little weaker.  
  
"What happened to Duo?" Quatre yelled over the screams coming from the rippling body of the orange and black striped beast. Usagi couldn't tear her eyes away from the frothing and screaming tiger, she couldn't believe that it was Duo. She remembered Duo telling her that he hadn't been able to control his shifting's his first two years. But she hadn't clearly imagined the suffering that must have come with his lack of control. She had felt nothing when she was out of control of her body but Duo had had the presence of mind to be humiliated and hurt he was cast out from all that was familiar to him.  
  
Duo had been there when his family had said that they would never see him again. Usagi came out of OZ still untouched and accepted and Duo had come out of his experience as a ruined man. Usagi didn't want to see this crazed animal in front of her because it represented the standing fact that she had suffered little compared to Duo...to all the people under OZ's tyranny. 'Why have I been so blind?' Usagi asked herself, In that second Usagi came to terms with herself. It was an epiphany. It had been OZ that had killed her parents, pulled Quatre away from her, burned her village, killed Mamoru, slaughtered the orphans, and was now destroying Duo. She remembered how nice he had been and now he was an uncontrollable beast.  
  
"Usagi! Snap out of it!" Quatre shook Usagi's shoulder, "You need to help Duo."  
  
Usagi glanced at Duo and shook her head, "No, I can't help him Quatre, I don't know!" She said in fear. Quatre's eyes hardened, "Usagi don't be stupid. You're the strongest one here, you're the only one that can help him. Please!" He pleaded.  
  
Usagi let one shudder run through her body before she turned and ran to Duo. The beautiful creature had just managed to free one paw when Usagi set her hands on his rapidly rising stomach. A burning sensation came to Usagi's fingertips but she fought it away with her magic. She piled all of her magic force onto her hands, trying to stop and destroy the burn that ravaged Duo's body. Trowa realized, much too late, that something had gone wrong. Usagi's hands had stiffened spasmodically before she painfully began to clench at the skin of the tiger.  
  
Quatre shoved someone away who had been holding him back as he leapt for Usagi. Duo's orange and black-striped fur melted away into human skin. Usagi continued to keep her hands buried in Duo's fur, afraid that she would involuntarily rip them away and break the bond she had formed. Whiskers and throat-crushing jaws gave way to fluttering eyes and soft pink lips. The spell was finished and Usagi tottered away from Duo's still form. She was abruptly thrown off of her feet when a brutal wind tore through the room. The wind whirled in on itself into a miniature tornado. Rei steeled herself for battle and summoned up what little magical ability she had, now was the time to redeem herself. Ripping the canyon warrior's restraining arm from her shoulder she locked her fingers together with her thumbs and forefingers sticking out.  
  
"Fire Dragon!" She yelled as she released her spell. The snapping flames of the orange dragon hurtled towards the undulating tornado. The dragon was taken from its path in the air and was twisted around and around the tornado. The roaring wind turned into a twisting inferno. From Usagi's place on the floor she heard Orin's distinct laugh as a column of flame reached for her. Screaming she covered her eyes against the cracking heat as it flew towards her. Seconds later, when she found that she was still alive, she looked up to find Heero Yuy standing in front of her. The mark of Auri-un was blazing like star on his neck as he held back the funneling column of fire.  
  
Struggling to her feet Usagi watched as the tornado, encased in flame, took the pear-like shape of Orin's body. Frozen in fear Usagi watched as five individual fingers separated from a fiery fist. She watched, paralyzed, as the flaming features of Orin's grinning face appeared. "Usagi, I've found you at last."  
  
Usagi's terrified eyes swiveled towards Heero. He looked weak to Usagi as the charging magic of Orin continued to eat away at Heero's spouting black magic.  
  
'Give me your magic.' At first Usagi had thought that someone else had spoken to her because Heero's lips hadn't moved. But the voice and command came again to her and Usagi, in shock, understood that Heero had indeed spoken to her. Physical strength was leaving him as he fought off Orin's spell but his magic strength was still coursing throughout him. He had spoken to Usagi through magic instead of voice, reaffirming that Heero really was in need of her help. Usagi slowly got up and reached her trembling hand forwards to touch the glowing mark on Heero's neckline. The connection was instant. Usagi's magic poured from out of her hand and into Heero like warm water.  
  
The black funnel of magic that Heero was fighting Orin with had turned gray and then white as it surged with new energy. The funnel that Heero and Usagi had created together went straight through Orin's flaming arm like an arrow. Orin's fingers collapsed back into a ball of fire and his face melted back into the spinning wall of fire as white light cracked through his spell. Piercing the whirling tornado Heero summoned his final reserves of magic from both Usagi and himself and sent them at Orin. The tornado split in half and melted into thin air. Both Heero and Usagi tumbled onto the ground in sheer exhaustion. Quatre had Usagi in his arms before another minute could pass.  
  
"Usagi!" He crooned in alarm, cradling her limp body. The crescent moon that had just moments ago been shining with light was fading from her forehead. Heero had fallen onto his hands and knees and looked up to watch Quatre pulling Usagi closer to him. Letting his heavy head fall back down Heero concentrated on sending oxygen in and out of his suffering lungs. Wufei let his sword fall from his hands and he turned to his wife and stared at her. She refused to meet his gaze and stared at a far wall.  
  
Trowa was the one to set a healing spell onto Heero and Usagi. "Thank god you arrived in time Heero." Trowa said in a grateful whisper as he helped the weary wraith up. Heero couldn't reply because he was so drained. The wraith only looked over his shoulder to see if Duo was being taken care of. Wufei was kneeled next to the shifter. Wufei's body was glowing with magic as he channeled all of his anger into the single healing spell.  
  
Usagi had never before been so tired that she couldn't vocally complain about it. She didn't know that the question, 'Are you alright?' had been repeated to her at least six or seven times. All she could marvel about at the moment was how she could actually hear the dum-dum of her heart. It was like gauze had been stuffed into her ears so that all she could hear was that impenetrable and repetitive dum-dum, dum-dum of her heart. She was exhausted to the point where speaking was an unthinkable waste of energy. Her mind meandered aimlessly, as most sleepy minds do, through memories and dreams without stopping to examine any of them. The ceiling and Quatre's face blurred together seconds before she let her heavy lids fall shut.  
  
When Usagi awoke the sun was warming her face and piercing through her sheets and skin to run up and down her bones in warm tingles. Groaning she turned on her side to turn away from the light. She still wanted to sleep in this perfect beam of gold. But it was not to be.  
  
"Usagi if you're awake it would be helpful if you came over here."  
  
Usagi knew the voice belonged to Wufei because no one she knew had a voice quite as cultured as Wufei's. Sighing a long, heavy sigh Usagi wrapped the sheets around her and sat up. Her cheeks immediately turned pink when she realized that half a dozen men were in the room staring at her.  
  
"Wufei!" Usagi squealed as she wrapped the sheets tighter around herself. Wufei didn't even budge, "We need to speak with you now."  
  
Usagi's blush vanished at the remark, the sunny disposition that the room had had just minutes ago turned grim. "What's wrong?" Usagi's eyes widened considerably when she recalled the events of last night. "Is Duo alright?" She asked worriedly.  
  
Wufei nodded his head, "He's already up and packing, as is Heero."  
  
"Packing? Why? Where are we going?" So many questions were flying through Usagi's mind that she could hardly focus on what Wufei was saying.  
  
"We're leaving the canyon, Treize's army will most likely be here in a matter of days."  
  
"But," Usagi searched the stern faces of the canyon's council men in desperation, "We destroyed the stone, and defeated Orin!" She burst.  
  
Wufei gave an impatient sigh, "Orin was trying to use the tracking stone as a way to immediately travel from OZ to our location as a surprise attack. He almost succeeded if you and Heero hadn't been able to stop his attempt."  
  
Usagi nodded her head rapidly, wanting to know everything at that moment.  
  
"And," Wufei continued, "Rei stupidly brought that stone here thinking that it would help us in our mission to destroy OZ. The other princesses and Haruka were with her but they were ambushed while Rei was scouting ahead."  
  
"We're going to save them aren't we?" Usagi interrupted.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. That is why we must go, now."  
  
Usagi sprang up and grabbed the clothes which lay at the end of the bed. "Okay, I'll be ready to go in a few moments."  
  
"Usagi." Wufei said tolerantly.  
  
Usagi turned to him in impatience, "What?"  
  
"I and the canyon-dwellers are all here to tell you that you're going to lead us from now on."  
  
**********Right...yeah...um, right. I kinda didn't have a lot of time to revise this so that's why the chapter might be a little uh, boring and rough. Sorry about that and how long it took me to get this out, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to sit down and reread my chapters over and over again to check them for mistakes. Well, review and I hope the chapters enough for you to at least enjoy it, a little bit. Toodles- Qt~chan P.S. Yes this entire story came from my own brain and not somebody else's. 


	6. Dead or Alive

Akbar By Qt-chan

Chapter 6

Usagi stared straight into Wufei's eyes in brain-numbed shock. "I'm going to be what?" She repeated, paralyzed in place. Wufei's tongue touched against the tips of his fangs in agitation, "You're going to play leader." His voice was a sibilant whisper that nosed through the thick silence and into Usagi's ear. Her face paled dramatically and she sunk back into her bed, clinging fiercely to her sheets. "I can't believe it!" Usagi said softly as she stared up at the ceiling, "I don't believe this is actually happening...I mean, I can't wait to start!" She finally exploded. The sleek Hurda hesitated for only a second before he closed the gap between him and Usagi. Usagi had launched upright the second that Wufei had begun to move towards her, something inside of her was buzzing in alarm. But she didn't move an inch as Wufei's hand brushed across her cheek and then planted itself onto her forehead. Wufei's eyes sparked with the heat of his magic as he forced his magic into Usagi's mind.

The canyon leaders all took a defensive step forwards when they heard Usagi's sharp gasp break the tense silence. Wufei, whose eyes were glowing a deep red, twisted his head around at the sound of the canyon leaders. "Get out." Wufei snapped his head back around as he felt the heat of Usagi's forehead begin to leave his hand. Usagi slumped back into her crumpled sheets, unconscious. Wufei saw the crescent moon on Usagi's forehead just before he put his hand back onto her forehead.

The leaders glanced at each other, unsure of what they should do. It was a few minutes later before they finally decided to leave Wufei, with one of his legs pushed in-between Usagi's and his body hovering just over hers, to himself.

As soon as Wufei heard the canyon leaders leave he entered into Usagi's mind. Wufei had never really mastered seeing into people's minds but it didn't seem to matter with Usagi. Her mind was full of color and light and the crystals magic was constantly around Wufei, buzzing in his ear and tickling his skin as it examined him. "Usagi, are you still alive?" Wufei called out as a unicorn skipped across the vast misty floor just a few feet in front of him. "Usagi, where is the crystal?" He asked, he needed to know where the crystal was in Usagi's body...if she happened to die he would know where to start cutting.

'Why would you need to know something like that?'

Wufei was suddenly blinded by an explosion of light. The Hurda felt his muscles bunch up in surprise when he felt a very solid hand close onto his. Blinking his eyes open he turned to find Usagi at his side. Her blue eyes seemed to have be bigger and even bluer in the image that she had cast of herself in her own mind. "I can't look at it." Usagi said, she was wincing as she pointed her finger forwards, past Wufei. Wufei felt his mouth fall open as his squinted eyes finally landed on the source of the burning, caustic light.

'You're not allowed in here.' Wufei shot a quizzical glance at Usagi to see if she had spoken but Usagi had disappeared. Wufei's body shuddered as the air in his lungs was sucked out and he was abruptly thrown into the misty space of Usagi's mind. Wufei flew through what felt like miles of mist before he opened his eyes to Usagi's wide-awake, alert eyes. Wufei frowned when he realized that he had just been thrown out of Usagi's mind.

"Did you do that?" Usagi mumbled, blushing a strawberry red. It was then that Wufei fully realized the position that he was in. Pulling himself off of her immediately Wufei wiped the sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand.

"I needed to find out where the crystal was."

"Inside of me, of course." Usagi said delicately as she pulled her decidedly protective sheets over her sparsely clothed body.

"I know that, but where inside of you. The crystal's obviously just a part of you now, isn't it Usagi?"

Usagi shrugged her shoulders, glancing nervously at the wall, "I guess so." She said, plucking at her sheets.

Wufei's eyes narrowed, "How long did you know?"

"Know what?" Usagi asked, still plucking at her sheets and staring at the wall.

"Know that the crystal had taken over your body!" Wufei nearly snarled. Usagi jumped at the tone of Wufei's voice. Gathering the sheets closer to her Usagi pulled up her feet inside the sheets so that she was completely encased in the sheets up to her nose.

"Well Usagi?" Wufei said, pressing her for an answer.

Usagi took a deep breath before she peeped out her answer, "For awhile now."

"Why didn't you tell us? Do you know what this means?" Wufei barked out. Usagi shook her head slowly, "I didn't think it'd be a good thing if someone wanted the crystal and it was...well, a part of me, you know."

Wufei visibly shook with anger as he climbed back onto Usagi's bed. He ripped the sheets away from her body and threw them onto the floor. Usagi was already red in the cheeks as Wufei thrust his face closer to hers. "You better get ready, your army's waiting for you." Studying her face for just a minute Wufei pulled slowly away from her. There was a beat of silence between the two before Wufei's brows turned back down and he rapped out another command to Usagi, "Get dressed already! We need to leave." With that he turned and swept out of her room. Usagi made sure that Wufei was out of hearing distance before she opened the palm of her hand and spoke.

"Is everything okay?" She whispered to the air just above her opened palm. The air above her palm rippled and then thickened into a sliver of white mist that twisted into a nearly translucent, crystallized miniature double of Usagi.

"Well I suppose our secrets out now...just be more careful, they want us now that they know that we're connected."

Usagi stared at the miniature of her, "All I have to do is get you back to the other crystals right?"

"Right Usagi," the miniature smiled lightly, "then I leave you and give life back to the desert, because that's what we seven crystals are, just a bundle of solid life energy."

Usagi shivered a little as she imagined the difficulty of what the crystal had just told her. The little crystalline miniature reached down and touched Usagi's thumb, "Don't worry, I'm here for you...it's been a long time since I've been able to speak because I usually don't bond with my holder but I'm much stronger, _we're_ much stronger together like this. And we'll defeat whoever we have to." Usagi obediently nodded her head, but her spine was tingling in nervousness.

Wufei's black cloak flared out behind him as he made his way through the abandoned corridors of the rebels. The image of the throbbing gold light pulsing through the magic's shadow in time with Usagi's heart kept playing over and over in Wufei's eye. This certainly complicated things for the Hurda's. He reached Heero's room several minutes later. It was just as empty as it usually was, except that the crude drawer that held all of Heero's and Duo's clothes lay open and empty.

Duo opened a dozy eye as soon as Wufei had stepped into the room. He had his hands folded beneath his gleaming brown hair and was the picture of laziness. "What're you doing here Prince? Coming to give the lower's some packing advice?"

Duo was hardly surprised when Wufei ignored him totally and began to speak to Heero. "Heero, she's been infected."

Both of Duo's eyes opened at this news, he was wide awake now. This was something that he would need to know.

Heero's steady hands paused in their movement and then fell limply back to his sides. He straightened to his full height and let his heavy gaze fall onto Wufei.

"Are you sure?" Heero asked quietly.

Wufei glanced back into the empty hallway to make sure that they were safe from being overhead before he continued. "Of course I'm sure, my magic is refined enough to tell."

Heero's eyes fell to the floor and then glazed over as he went deep into thought. Wufei watched Heero with a keen eye, he had never met a wraith like Heero Yuy. The Dragon prince knew that the crystal's magic that was infused in Heero's body was partially the reason for the exceptional realness of the Heero Yuy in front of him, but it still couldn't explain the strange goodness that was inside of the wraith. Heero said that all that was left in this part of his former self was evil, but somehow Wufei found that difficult to believe.

"Have you told Quatre any of this?" Heero asked abruptly.

Wufei shook his head, "No, I haven't had the chance to."

"Don't, it would only draw him off course. I will teach her how to control her magic, but neither of you are to say a word of her condition to Trowa or Quatre."

"Why not tell Trowa?" Duo asked innocently as he stretched his sleepy body.

"Because I have a feeling." Heero said briefly before he turned back to his knapsack. Duo rolled his eyes, "Well I guess that answers it all." Duo stretched again before morphing into the sand-colored body of a cat. Loping out of the room he hissed as he passed by Wufei. Wufei however, wasn't satisfied by the answer, "Why not? Both of them have proved trustworthy, especially Trowa."

Heero turned back around with a sort of tense energy about him, "His brother was just killed."

"What does that have to do with anything? He knew that his brother was just in the way, that he would have ruined our plans." Wufei retorted testily.

"He was his brother; they no doubt grew up together. People don't forget things like that." Heero murmured. Wufei narrowed his eyes, "If you're blaming me you know you would have done the same thing as I did, so what are you trying to say Heero Yuy?" Wufei's hand fell to his sword hilt.

"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything Chang, I'm just telling you that they were brothers and there's no doubt in my mind that Adaron's death will be affecting Trowa in one way or another. I'm just telling you why you shouldn't go around telling Trowa certain weaknesses of ours." Heero said stonily, the tense air about him seemed to have broken and slipped away as he spoke.

Wufei straightened at that bit of information, "What do you mean, one of our weaknesses? With the magic directly plugged into Usagi's system she has complete control over it. She's more powerful than you even." Wufei was half-expecting some kind of harsh retort from Heero but the wraith just sighed.

"Not yet she doesn't." Heero said softly, "She doesn't know the full extent of her powers, she doesn't know that the crystal's main purpose is to release the magic inside of it. And now to do that Usagi will have to sacrifice herself to its need." Heero held out his hands in front of him. A translucent image of a crystal appeared in Heero's hands, "That's the only reason I'm still partly alive. I didn't to release the magic in the crystal, so it wouldn't let me die...I don't want Usagi, Quatre, or Trowa to know any of this though. They'll only interfere."

Wufei couldn't help his lips from curling into a smile at the comment, "Quatre especially, I'll keep an eye on the lovesick fool...When are you going to begin training her then?"

"On the journey to the new rebel campsite, there'll be no other time to do it." Heero closed his hands together and the image of the crystal vanished. Wufei nodded his head and exited the room, confident of his motive once again. Heero waited for Wufei to leave before he returned to his packing. The wraith wanted so much to just take Usagi's crystal and be rid of all of the Hurda's so that he could continue on with his first plan, but Usagi's bondage with the crystal made things especially difficult for him now. He should have just killed her like he had wanted to in the dungeon cell. Heero slid his empty clothes drawer shut with a light tap, he would find a way to get Usagi's crystal though. He was immortal after all.

Duo was surprised when he entered Usagi's room and found it empty. Hurrying out of the passageway he held his tail up high, he was excited at the prospect of traveling. Weaving in-between the hard-heeled boots of the rebels Duo finally managed to find a window and, with an easy grace, pounced out from it. He landed in the huge litter-box that was the desert. Daintily lifting his paws he shook them one by one and began to trek forwards again. The cat's large ears picked up on snatches of conversation as he passed the swelling rebel ranks.

With the supreme confidence of a cat, Duo jauntily passed by another group of bleary-eyed rebels. Perhaps it was Duo's jaunty walk or maybe it was because of the desert cat's peculiar brown tail waving back and forth like a flag that alerted the attention of the canyon boy, either way, Duo wasn't aware of the boy creeping towards him. Duo had a split second to register the whistling sound of something flying through the air before there was a soft WHUMP as a net hit the ground, swallowing Duo whole. There was a cry of triumph as a teenage boy sped up the line of amassing rebels towards his prize. He deftly collected the corners of the net and pulled them together so that the spitting cat couldn't escape. No matter how hard the cat wriggled and hissed it couldn't shove itself through one of the square apertures in the net. The cat's violet eyes swung their lantern-like gaze to the boy who had caught him.

The boy felt his mouth open in shock when he saw the malicious violet eyes of the cat. He'd never seen a cat with violet eyes before and it caught him off guard. Duo, sensing the temporary surprise of the boy, shoved his back legs against the netting, hoping that he'd be able to wrench the net out of the boy's grip. His legs hardly gave the sort of surprising push that Duo had wanted because they had slipped off the thin netting and shot through the square holes. The boy broke out into laughter at the sight.

"Rowan, what're you doing?" Another boy called as he heard Rowan's familiar bark-like laughter.

Rowan turned his head from the cat and motioned for his friend to join him. "Look at what I caught!" He said, proudly holding the swaying net up.

Rowan was soon accompanied by his friend who ogled at the amethyst eyes set in the cat's delicate head. Rowan was pleased that his friend was impressed but became less so when his friend pulled out a blunt, but serviceable, dagger.

"Well, are you gonna gut it 'afore we leave? It'll only take a second or two." He said as he stretched his wiry hands forward. Duo swiped at the boys hands with a furious claw, causing the boy to jump backwards from the ferocity of the attack. Rowan's brows came together and he wrenched the knife out of the boys' hands. "My mum said that cats were good, they get rid of the rats. Why would I want to get rid of this one?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's wild, look at the long legs it has, besides, you could keep its eyes if you want." His friend said back shortly, he lunged for Rowan. The two scuffled for a moment, ending with Rowan wheeling backwards with the net swinging violently in his hands. His friend had managed to capture his dagger back from Rowan's firm grip.

Rowan was panting from the skirmish but he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm not going to let you kill this cat, you stupid meathead! ...I mean look at its eyes, it'd be a shame to kill something like this." Rowan twisted his net clockwise so that he could catch another glance at the cat's marvelous eyes. Rowan glanced at his friend and yelled in surprise when he saw his friend drawing back his dagger. Rowan couldn't have done anything in the split second that it took his friend to ram his dagger forwards through the net and efficiently stab the defenseless cat in the hind leg.

A split second later some of the rebel's had to stop and cover their ears as an ear splitting yowl rent the air.

Duo had had enough, being caught was one thing, but being stabbed was another. His violet eyes were dancing with electric rage as his legs began to shed their fur and grow gray, leathery skin. There was an explosion of growth from the little cat as its legs grew to the size of barrels. The net snapped and Rowan and his friend fell backwards in horror as the little cat grew to enormous proportions. It grew to be at least three times taller than the boys with feet as thick as wine barrels. The two adolescents found themselves staring up at a fully grown Umiron. The massive tree-trunk legs tapered only slightly at its foot which was much like the foot, or claw, of a hawk. The Umiron's body and head were far above the reach of the boy's and their daggers, the only thing that was in reachable distance to the two was the blunt snout of the Umiron which was bristling with spikes of bleached bone. The desert had ways of breeding animals into monsters.

The rebels who had calmly been passing the two arguing boys were now sending out worried shouts of advice to the gawking boys. Its snout which was used to ripping cactus's right out of the ground, was swaying dangerously close to the two frightened boys. There was a ridge of pointed backbones protruding from the Umiron's thick hide as it stomped about on the sand. Rowan's friend picked himself up and fled from the creature, leaving Rowan lying prone on the ground, he had been hit in the side by the Umiron. The Umiron's violet eyes immediately turned in the direction of Rowan's fleeing friend. His snout hurtled forwards and grazed the boy's back.

There was a worried shout from the crowd of canyon rebels as the boy was thrown off of his feet and knocked into the nearest dune. The boy's body didn't move from his landing hole in the sand. Rowan who couldn't believe that he was bleeding, stared at his blood as it seeped from his side. He was going to die, he just knew it. Rowan flinched when the Umiron's shadow turned back and fell onto him. Rowan dared to glance up into the far-away gaze of the towering monster. He was surprised to see what he thought was concern in the Umiron's violet eyes...violet, just like the cat, Rowan thought. He felt his mind lurch as it was staggered by the amazing spectacle of the Umiron shrinking and taking the shape of a white cobra. Slithering forwards the cobra reached the boy's side and gently sank its dripping fangs into the boy's side.

Rowan had been paralyzed at the sight of the white snake, a creature that secreted a poison that could eat through a creature's intestines with a single drop. And now the monstrosity was sinking its fangs into his side. He was going to die! Rowan's wide eyes stared down at his killer and noticed the violet eyes once again. After a time a canyon warrior knelt slowly down next to Rowan. "Don't move." The man said, barely moving his lips, the dune that the boy had tumbled down into was lined with rebels who were armed to the teeth.

Rowan wanted to cry out that it was too late to be saved anyway but he soon realized that he was in the more capable hands of a Hurda, not one of his fellow canyon members. Trowa pulled down the black silk that covered his mouth and slowly reached forwards to press his thumb against the back of the snake's head to unlock the viper's jaws from the boys' side. The cobra thrashed its body out of Trowa's grip and immediately recoiled and rose up threateningly towards Trowa. Rowan heard a scream of terror escape his throat when he stared into the slanted eyes of the swaying cobra.

Trowa's eyes narrowed instantly when he spotted the violet eyes on the cobra. Trowa's lips thinned into a narrow line, "Duo, what do you think you're doing, the rebels aren't going to like that you just poisoned this boy."

Rowan turned to fully take in the owner of this smooth voice, this aristocratic, rich, voice. It would be the last one he would hear before he was going to die, he thought faintly. Then, as if defying the notion of death Rowan struggled to raise his upper body off of the ground. He was shocked when he rose up without the slightest twinge of pain.

The cobra had stopped swaying and was staring solemnly at Rowan's wound. The cobra bent its head to the side ever so slightly, making Rowan think the perverse thought that the cobra was examining his wound.

"Well if that's what you were doing..." Trowa stood up and lifted the silk cloth up over his lips once again, "You scared the rest of the rebels, why don't you go and heal the other boy now?" Trowa said tersely, looking straight at the cobra.

Rowan stared up in amazement at the Hurda, "Sir," Rowan implored, "That's a snake, snakes don't talk."

Trowa sighed, "Duo, change back now." Trowa commanded. Rowan frowned and turned back to the snake. His mouth fell open as he witnessed yet another warped growth. The pearly skin of the cobra began to fall away and turn a healthy pink. The snake grew limbs and its tail regressed. Slanted eyes grew wide open and soon Duo stood before the awestruck boy.

"You're a shifter!" Rowan cried out in shock.

Duo smirked and winked, "Never, ever, touch a funny-eye'd animal. No cat has violet eyes like mine, that's how you can tell if it's a normal cat or not. So don't touch any animals with purple eyes." He said kindly. Duo knelt down next to the boy and touched his side. Rowan's skin flinched at the touch but after Rowan met Duo's serious gaze he let the shifter touch his wound. It suddenly occurred to Rowan that he had stopped bleeding so he glanced down at his side and found his skin to be clear of any sort of wound.

"How'd you do that?" Rowan asked in polite curiosity, he had already forgotten that he had just been about to 'die'.

Duo glanced at the boy in surprise, "Aren't you disgusted by the fact that I'm a shifter, boy?"

Rowan's eyes narrowed, "I'm not a boy, and, and..." Rowan stared into Duo's eyes, he felt warmth radiating from them, "And," Rowan began more firmly, "you're not like how my parents made shifters out to be."

Duo smiled in appreciation of the comment, "I'm glad I stitched you up, that white cobra may be dangerous in your intestines but if you manage to tame it, which takes years, its venom can close any wound and clear it of any sort of poison...but of course the white cobra is rare." Duo turned his head to gaze at the other boy who was now being tended to by several canyon woman. Duo's mouth tightened into a thin line, "So that's the one that stabbed me?"

Rowan swallowed nervously, "He honestly didn't mean it sir, I mean I," Rowan was cut off as Trowa roughly hauled him to his feet. "There's no use trying to convince him otherwise." Trowa said softly to Rowan as they watched Duo stalk towards Rowan's fallen friend.

Rowan's friend watched Duo with round eyes. Breaking into a sweat, he clutched at the women tending him. Duo didn't even glance at the frightened women surrounding the boy.

"If you ever, ever stab another cat like that I'll see to it personally that you get gutted." Duo reached forwards and took the dagger out of the boy's pale, pale hands. Leaning forwards Duo traced an invisible line right up the boy's stomach to his throat. "First you have to split the skin, right down the belly." Duo said quietly, leaving an irritated red mark up the boy's belly. The knife tickled the frightened teenager but he didn't dare move. Duo made an abrupt slashing motion across the boy's neck, "Then you slit the throat. That's how you gut an animal you idiot, quick and clean." The boy nearly peed in his pants, he'd never be able to look at cats quite same after this experience. Throwing the dagger aside Duo glared at the boy, "Next time you see a purple-eyed animal I suggest you stay away from it." With that said, Duo transformed into the body of a magnificent white stallion that turned to pound away across the sand.

Usagi stood at the head of the long procession of Slayers, alone. She stood on the top of a dune staring down at the milling rebels, fear shrouded her. 'How am I supposed to lead these people? What were they thinking?' She thought worriedly. Looking up into the sky for a solution, or for some peace, Usagi began to pray for herself. Her hair was whipped back by a strong wind as she continued to pray fervently. Her eyes snapped open only when she felt a hot gust of air blow onto the back of her neck. Whirling around Usagi came face to face with the broad nose of a white horse.

Usagi was too stiff with astonishment to do anything besides draw in a startled breath. Catching sight of the violet eyes in the horse's head Usagi immediately understood.

"Duo?" She said in amazement.

The proud horse tossed its head and arrogantly swished its tail. Usagi slowly reached out and ran her hand down the back of the horse. Its skin was silky smooth.

'So what do you think of your steed?' Usagi's eyes instantly turned towards Duo's.

"How'd you do that?" She said out loud.

'Do what?' Duo's voice echoed inside of Usagi's head.

"That!" Usagi said, stepping away from Duo.

'Oh, you mean talk in your head?'

Usagi nodded, eyeing Duo curiously.

'Just simple magic. Horses can't exactly talk, you know, so this is the only way we can communicate.'

"How do I do it?" Usagi asked shyly as she extended an arm to rest on the thick neck.

'I'll leave the magic lessons up to Heero and Wufei, they're good at that.' Duo half knelt onto the sand, 'Well, get on now, we've gotta start going already.'

Usagi, with trepidation, mounted the smooth back of the horse. She found that the silky coat of the horse was now something to dread as she slipped rather suddenly into place.

"Duo, I don't like this!" Usagi said in fear, clutching onto the horse's mane. Duo turned his head to look at Usagi and nickered.

'Alright, alright, I'll give you a coat you can grip.' Duo closed his eyes and concentrated, it was only seconds later that his coat turned a light yellow color while his mane and tail became black and his legs were socked in the midnight color too.

'Hold on Usagi.'

Usagi's eyes widened, "What're you going to do?" Usagi's thighs tightened around the horse's ample sides just as he reared up onto his hind legs and let out a ringing neigh. Usagi felt the tingling of adrenaline as it flooded her veins. She grabbed hunks of Duo's mane in desperation, trying to stay on him as he struck out at the air. When Usagi's steed had crashed back down onto the sand she was almost half way off of the horse. Duo shook her back into position and rapped out quick directions.

'Sit up straight, don't make them think you don't even know how to ride!' Duo said sharply, standing beautifully squared under her, 'Tell them we have to go!'

Usagi sat up straight and tried to still her quivering body, it was then that Duo decided to rear up again and let out his ground-shaking neigh.

'Alright, I got their attention, now tell them its time to go! Tell them to form into four rows with woman and children in the center.'

Apprehensively, and out of breath, Usagi ordered the canyon rebels to do what she had been told to do. She was almost surprised when the rag-tag bunch actually followed her directions. Plucking courage from the scene of orderliness, Usagi raised her voice again to tell the rebels that it was finally time to, "Move out!"

The canyon rebels were finally on their way, the only thing that would be able to follow their tracks was the dust. They were going to finally finish this war, with their deaths or OZ's.

Orin's smile was devilish as he examined himself in his floor-length mirror. He could hardly believe the image in front of him. In place of the wizened, graying, and feeble body that Orin used to inhabit was a sleek, youthful, and crafty-eyed man. His diamond encrusted rings were no longer stuck onto his bloated fingers but could be slipped off and on his thin finger with ease. Such simple things were noticed by Orin's critical eyes; having an eye for the meticulous facts was what had made Orin the magus that he was. And he wasn't just about to give up on his tried and true method. Now that he had regained his youth, Orin realized that he could go beyond what he had been before. Orin could be the one to reinstall OZ's hold on the desert lands; he could be the one to rule it all. This was all thanks to the crystals, which now resided inside of his body. The mystic crystals had given him back his vision, his youth, and more power than he could ever have imagined having. It was his second chance at life.

Squeezing his lithe fingers into a fist Orin reveled in being able to watch beads of the crystal's phenomenal power outlining his fist, reacting to his prideful emotion. The strength in just one of his fists was enough to turn this castle into rubble. The thought practically drove Orin into whoops of insane delight. Turning back to his handsome figure standing in the mirror Orin's grin began to fade. His earlier failure at capturing Usagi troubled him. The night of his failure he had thrown a tantrum of the most violent kind. Furniture and other decorative objects lay around the room like the broken hulls of grounded ships.

Orin just couldn't understand how he had failed in his mission to crush those few magic-wielding rebels. 'How is it possible that that bitch defeated me when she only had one crystal locked inside of her? Are the crystals inside of me weaker than hers?' Orin's brilliant, but frustrated, mind pondered those two questions over and over again. Seconds later his mind banished the former thought, all seven crystals had an equal amount of magic stored in them, there was no way that one crystal was stronger than the other. Orin wearily waved his hand across the surface of the mirror and his reflection wavered before disappearing completely. The picture that had replaced Orin's reflection was an image from his memory of that night when Usagi had unexpectedly defeated him.

The large, stone room in the canyon rebel's hide-out was perfectly detailed according to Orin's accurate memory. Starting from when he had broken into the canyon room through the help of that foolish Shifter, Orin watched his memory replay before his eyes. As Orin reached the end of his memory he saw Usagi standing before him with her crescent moon emblazoned on her forehead. He slowed his memory to a standstill so that he could study his enemy.

Snorting in derision, Orin failed to see how Adaron had been attracted to her. She was obviously a commoner. She might have a pretty body but she was too babyish, Orin would have wanted someone with a more refined figure. So much for making her his concubine, Orin thought. Sighing, Orin started his memory up again and watched as it played in front of him. Heero suddenly came out of nowhere and entered into Orin's line of vision, therefore entering into Orin's memory. In the memory, which was replaying before Orin's eyes, the magus could clearly see how Heero had reached forwards and gripped Usagi's shoulder in his hand just as her beam of light doubled in size and power, driving Orin back. Orin waved his hand and the memory came to another stand still. For a moment Orin couldn't believe what had just passed through his mind, but there was no doubting it. With another wave of his hand Orin made the memory disappear and another one come onto the mirror's reflective surface. This memory was of when the wraith, Heero, had first revealed himself to Orin in his laboratory. The memory was fast-forwarded until the magus came up to the scene where Heero had pulled down his shirt collar and revealed his glowing mark, the mark of Auri-un, to him.

Orin gaped in amazement, everything had just come together in his mind. The facts, the information collided together into a seamless plan for the magus. He fell forwards onto his mirror and wheezed with crazed laughter. He couldn't believe that he hadn't realized this key fact earlier. Slapping the mirror's surface in unrestrained mirth he broke out into another howling fit of laughter. 'Oh Gods!' Orin thought between each bark of laughter, 'This is just too rich! This is just too easy!'

Several minutes later Orin was slumped against his mirror, he had collapsed onto the floor in his triumphant moment. Chuckling to himself every now and then Orin let out a contented sigh. "Heero Yuy, I had almost forgotten you." Orin heaved himself back to his feet and languidly made his way over to the dusty bookshelf across the room. The books were one of the only things in the room which hadn't been destroyed in Orin's fit of rage. Orin paused in his thoughts because he had heard the tell-tale POP of a wraith magicking itself into his laboratory.

"My lord?" A timid voice called out from behind Orin's locked chamber doors, his laboratory was connected to his bed chambers.

"What?" Orin snapped in impatience, ever since Ashati had been reduced to ash, the wraith's had been annoyingly docile and obedient to Orin.

"I am here to dress you." The wraith bashfully called back through the door.

Orin quickly rose up and straightened his robes. "Come in."

The wraith, who was tiny by wraith standards, entered the room holding Orin's clothing in her arms. Orin carelessly held his arms out and allowed the wraith to dress him. As the wraith proceeded to dress the renewed magus, his mind began to work furiously. The mark was only on a few wraiths, all of which had died, including Ashati, except for Heero. The mark was there to identify the wraith as a creator and keeper of a crystal. Orin had things to worry about now, if Heero gave Usagi his crystal, allowing himself to die, Usagi would have the same amount of power as Orin. The magus's upper lip curled in distaste, 'That cannot happen.'

The wraith squeaked in surprise when Orin abruptly snatched the remaining clothes out of her hands and shoved her out of his room. Striding over to his mirror again, he tapped it once so that he could see into the throne room of OZ. The mirror immediately centered onto the stiff and silent figure that sat in the throne. Orin's upper lip curled upwards again, but with disgust, at the sight of Treize still sitting at his throne. His right side was empty, that was where Adaron had sat, and his left side was empty, that was where Trowa had sat. Both had been announced as dead, killed by an assassin.

Treize wasn't just about to let Orin spring control over the castle by letting the entire OZ faculty know that Orin was more powerful than Treize. Trowa had been dead to Treize ever since Adaron had secretly revealed that Trowa bore the mark of the Hurda. So it came as no real blow when Trowa had abandoned his family for the Hurda's. The only wound that Treize bore from that apocalyptical night was Adaron's death. His only true son had been killed, slaughtered...Treize's gloved hand tightened into a fist, Trowa was the cause.

Only Treize and Orin knew the actual events of what had happened the night Adaron had been killed. That was why no one in the castle understood the sudden enmity between the king and his magus. There was nothing that the king of OZ could do to punish his magus so he kept the matter silent. Things had come out of his hands and into Orin's. Treize didn't know what card the magus had up his sleeve but one thing was for sure, Treize was completely and utterly alone.

Resting his forehead against his hot fingers, Treize thought of his other son, his bastard son who had left him. '...Trowa...,' Treize's lips tightened into a thin line, 'Both my sons have left me in one way or another.' The people had begun to mutter that the kingdom of OZ was beginning to crumble; the thought certainly pressed on Treize's mind. It was only a matter of time before Orin decided to stop playing this charade and take over the throne, but how could Treize escape, alive, and with followers? The thought ate at Treize, he knew that someday someone would defeat the power-swollen, egoistic magus, but until that day, how would Treize Kushrenada stay alive? That was the question.

His soldiers would no doubt stay with whoever was on the throne, not the actual ruler. They were here for Treize's protection only because he paid them. Only a few people knew Treize well enough to know that he didn't and wouldn't regret his persecution of the desert cities though. Treize wasn't a man made for regretting, he was made to coldly calculate the facts and chances. "This," Treize had said once to his magus, "is the way to rule kingdoms." Without a drop of pity inside of himself, Treize stretched OZ all across the desert; stealing the desert's peace...but now OZ was beginning to deteriorate. With no heirs and the very sure possibility of Orin taking over the throne, Treize was trapped. He wasn't quite sure what path or plan he should be making.

The friendless ruler's thoughts were interrupted by the startling crash of the throne room doors being flung open. The soldiers that lined the room jumped in surprise, they had been woken from their usual afternoon doze.

Orin swept into the room with the airs of a rich raja. He was dressed for the part too. Clothed in the richest and finest silks, he easily out-dressed Treize who was in his sharp military blue suit. The magus's spindly fingers sparkled with gems and precious jewels that caught the guards' eyes. He looked more like the king than the exhausted Treize. The soldiers were astonished by the show of wealth from the magus. They were even more startled when they saw how youthful and young the magus looked. Something had definitely changed, it was like Treize and Orin had switched bodies or something. The soldiers wouldn't be able to puzzle it out though, they hardly had the minds to worry about such a thing.

Orin sauntered up to Treize and mock-bowed to the tense monarch, "My Lord, why do you look so worried?"

Treize wasn't sure if he had more trouble accepting the grandiose figure in front of him or the fact that his time had finally drawn to a close. Clenching his hands into fists he calmly rose up from his throne and descended the stairs. He didn't even look at Orin as he passed by the beaming magus, Treize didn't want to allow the magus the chance to try something. The soldiers that stood around the room were watching in bewilderment, rumors flew back into their minds. 'Was it true that Orin had killed Adaron, or that the king had no control over his magus anymore? Was any of it true?' The gossip hungry soldiers didn't even know the half of it; all they could do is guess at what was playing around in the two twisted minds. Orin's eyes had narrowed dangerously at the sign of arrogance from Treize. His features had darkened and made the formerly handsome face, ugly.

"So is that it Treize? You think you can just walk gracefully out of this room without a mark on your pride!" Orin snarled. He swept around so that he could capture Treize's retreating figure. Looking like an angry bulldog, Orin made a cutting motion with his hand. Magic sparked through the air and threw Treize to the floor. Orin let his tensed features relax slightly, this was the sort of exit he had envisioned for Treize.

The surrounding soldiers gasped at the scene, they could hardly believe what was happening. Clanking forwards in their heavy armor, they rushed to pick up and defend their king.

"Don't move!" Orin spat out. The guards were immediately flung back to their usual places around the throne-room, frozen in place by Orin's magic. Orin instantly turned his attention back to the fallen king. Waving his hand lazily, Orin swung Treize up into the air and locked his limbs in place. Treize's lip was cut and swelling but he still looked dismissively past Orin. The magus rolled his eyes, "Do you always have to be so arrogant Treize?" With a lethargic move Orin had Treize hanging upside down in the air. Treize's crown and sword fell with a clang onto the cold marble floor. "Should I undress you and leave you in the nude?" Orin asked, chuckling to himself.

Treize's crystal eyes met Orin's, "You were once a great magus Orin."

Orin's eyes widened in temporary bemusement, "You're right, once I was great, but now I'm a god, literally. Now,** I** am the ruler of OZ." Orin was going to say more but a distant sound, a clattering of feet on marble, snared his attention. It was only a brief moment that he had his attention turned away from Treize, but it was enough to give Treize the idea that something, or someone, was coming. When Orin turned his eyes back onto the dangling king he had a fierce grin on his face.

"Well, well...If I had known you'd had the faithful service of such...gifted men, I would've saved your humiliation for them too. But seeing as I'm already started, I'll just quickly wrap this up." Orin strode forwards and placed his hand onto Treize's chest. Murmuring words under his breath he felt a slight thrill in his body when he grasped the full measure of his magic. It surged through his body like a torrent of raging water. The spell must have felt like a stab to Treize.

Orin's hand was glowing a sickly green color. The glowing green light rapidly spread to encase Treize's body. Once the magic had covered every inch of Treize's body the glowing ooze disappeared. Orin snapped his fingers and watched in fierce pleasure as Treize yelled in pain. A brand of interlinked chains glowed red-hot on the side of Treize's neck. Treize's body was released from the spell and he fell to the ground without any sort of warning. Treize could only gasp in air as pain lanced through his shoulders and head which had broken his fall. His neck felt like it was in a collar of fire, the brand was already beaded with blood.

Just then the Dragon Clan burst through the doors. Their leader stepped up to yell out a spell but found that his hands were planted at his sides and that his lips were sealed shut. The proud Clan warriors were locked in place too, they hadn't even been given the chance to say a spell against Orin.

Orin strolled up to the members of the Dragon Clan with a smirk on his face. "Honestly, how long did you think it'd be before I would be more powerful than you, hmm?" Orin asked the Clan's king. Orin privileged the older man by unsealing his lips.

"You filthy bastard, you stole the crystals! Now I know why Wufei turned against OZ!" His voice was so choked by rage that his words were thundering around the throne room.

Orin chortled at the announcement, "Don't worry, he'll be dead soon. Meanwhile, I'll bind you all, including you Treize, to this castle, you now all work for me."

"Over my dead body." The Clan leader hissed venomously, his eyes began to glow as life came back into his body.

Orin grimaced at the show of defiance, he would no longer tolerate such behavior. He was reigning king now, and nobody would stop him. Orin's opened hand immediately closed into a crushing fist that glowed with purple magic. The Dragon Monarch was outlined in purple light as the spell closed in around him. He had a moment to scream before his body was mashed together like a tomato.

Orich, the Dragon Clan's magus, let out a gasp of horror. "You bastard!" He yelled, his anger gave strength to his bottled up magic, freeing him from Orin's holding spell. In two strides Orich had leapt onto Orin and was throttling the young magus. The magic inside of Orin burst out of him at the attack. Orich was thrown against the far wall while Orin scrambled to his feet.

"How dare you!" Orin spat, "You think you can just go about and defeat me! I have the power of the crystals inside of me Orich, a power that is far greater than yours! You can't possibly defeat me!" Orin yelled out as he buffeted the wounded magus with magic.

Orich's pained eyes burned holes into Orin, "Don't forget what the crystals real purpose is Orin."

Orin snarled at Orich in unbridled hate, "You think you know everything Orich, but I am the one who has the power, I am the one who can destroy you." Orin waved his hand in an elaborate emotion and an iron collar appeared onto Orich's throat. The collar clamped down onto Orich's neck and began to squeeze the life out of him. Orin stood in front of Orich, watching as the man clawed at his bleeding throat, he was merciless.

Orin pulled Orich up so that he could whisper into the dying magus's ear, "Now Orich, what magus will be powerful enough to stop me?" As Orich's eyes rolled back into his head, the last thing that he saw was Orin's face, grinning back at him.

Orin dropped the heavy body as soon as he knew that it was completely and utterly lifeless. Not even taking the time to wipe the blood from his hands Orin strode up to Treize and slapped him across the face. "Now look at what you've done Treize, you've gotten your little friends killed."

Treize's shallow breaths became shaky with rage, "I will never bow to you."

Orin shrugged his shoulders, "It's too bad Treize that I'd rather see you suffer a million lives than to die, otherwise I'd kill you on the spot." Orin said a word and the rest of the Dragon clan flew against the walls and was instantly chained to the wall. Treize however found himself chained to the floor in a kneeling position. The metallic restrains were so tightly and precisely put that Treize couldn't budge an inch from the kneeling position. Orin snickered, "You see Treize, I already have you bowing to OZ's real lord."

Staring around himself Orin gave a sigh of satisfaction, "Now I just have one more little thing to deal with." Looking around the room Orin finally found the Asiatic person he was looking for. Walking up to the Dragon Clan general, Orin couldn't help but smile at the man's furious attempts to lash out at him.

"Come now, that's no way to treat your new ruler."

The general spat at Orin, the spit landed on Orin's cheek. For a moment it looked like Orin was going to explode but he just wiped the spit away and took a step closer to the burly man. The man took in a breath of surprise as Orin spit on him, except that Orin's spit congealed into a goose that covered the man's nose and mouth. Convulsing for air the man's eyes rolled back and forth in his head as he struggled for air. Orin only released the man from the spell when he was an inch from death.

"Tell me, how do you control your dragons?" Orin waited a second before he sent his magic cutting through the man's scalp. Blood trickled down the defeated general's face as he shook in pain.

"Tell me." Orin murmured, a smile tugging at his lips.

The night sky whirled in a circle above Rei's head as she spun around and around. The stars, in Rei's amethyst eyes, were trailing after her outspread hands, their tails leaving streaks of light to outline their path. With each new revolution Rei began another prayer. 'Please help me to prove myself to Wufei...Please help Wufei to forgive me...Please help me.' She said, letting her mind's voice spill outwards into the lonely desert. When she at last sank down onto the cool sand she watched the stars continue hurtling through space in a dizzying circle above her. Closing her lavender eyes she let out a whimper of anguish. This was all her fault, all of the rebels and Usagi herself, were in danger now because of her ignorance. The weight of the knowledge had been enough to silence Rei for the entire long and dusty day.

When she sat up again, brushing the loose sand off of her clothes as she did so, she tilted her head back so that she could glimpse the twilight stars overhead. The night sky had always been able to soothe Rei before. Its great expanse had continually reassured the princess that there were other places and other wonderful things in life that could happen to her. But the peaks of the surrounding dunes had captured the night sky in their gently arched points, interrupting what would have been an endless stretch of midnight blue and black. The sky seemed to be another finite beauty that was unreachable to all but the highest of peaks.

Cupping the desert sand in her hand, Rei watched as the sand trickled through her fingers. Each grain of sand was like a moment of Rei's life, each moment was as pointless and inconspicuous as all the rest. Rei picked up another handful of sand and let it slip through her fingers again, another analogy of her life. Then Rei heard the faintest of sounds. It was only for a moment, but the moment had lasted long enough for Rei to have heard the hushed sound of sand rushing down a dune. Rei's slender fist tightened so that the flow of sand in her fist was brought to a halt, she wasn't exactly sure if she was just being delusional. Rei slowly lifted her gaze from the desert floor and felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes spotted the back of a swiftly retreating figure. Rei's hand instantly opened wide, dumping the sand onto the ground. She had thought that she had seen the OZ crest on the retreating figure but she couldn't be sure. She wasn't about to sound the alarm to the entire rebel camp if the man turned out to be nothing more than a desert hare, so she rose up to investigate. Rei crept on all fours up the forbidding dune.

As she crawled up the dune she could feel the deep indents in the sand from the footsteps of someone or something that had passed by earlier. Her body had begun to tingle with adrenaline as she neared the top. Her ears had already begun to pick up on the all too familiar sound of a thousand pairs of feet tramping across the sand. Pursing her lips against the fear boiling up inside of her, Rei let her head peek out just above the dune's ridge. The glittering light of a thousand torches met Rei's stunned eyes. Her hand abruptly shot forwards as her wobbly balance on the tip of the dune became more apparent. Rei's cry of surprise was kept to a minimal squeak as a handful of disturbed sand slid down the dune to the feet of the receding OZ scout. The man abruptly stopped in his movements, watching as sand from behind him came trickling past. Whirling around the OZ scout spotted Rei just as she ducked her head back under the shelter of the dune.

Rei didn't try to hide the sound of her retreat as she heard the OZ soldier call out to the amassed legions just on the other side of the dune. She scrambled up the far dune, using her hands to help haul her up the steep, sliding surface. Her heart was hammering in her chest while her brain urged her to go faster. Being alive for long, Rei realized, was never a sure thing. The able-bodied OZ soldiers on the opposite dune practically flew up the hill of sand as they rushed forwards, still trying to carry on with their surprise attack. When they spotted Rei's struggling body near the top of the far dune they silently strung their bows.

Rei clambered to the top of the dune and lost no time in drawing her hands back to pantomime the motion of drawing an arrow to a bow. Without delay Rei's magic supplied a bow and arrow of fire into Rei's quaking hands. 'I pray that I'm not too late.' She thought as she loosed her fiery arrow. The flaming shaft soared straight up into the sky before bursting into a cloud of red hot flames. Rei felt a momentary smirk grace her features, she had done it, the rebels were warned. But then the crashing sound of thousands of soldiers rushing up the dune towards Rei made her realize that she was their very first target. Spinning around on the balls of her feet Rei was unprepared to see the mass of hard-eyed soldiers charging towards her but she held her ground, summoning her magic to her. If anything, Rei was going to make a dent in the number of OZ soldiers that the rebels were going to meet in battle.

Wufei's hands, which had been busy sharpening daggers, stilled, as ebony eyes traced a shadow of light that could be seen through the thin tent roof. Wufei sheathed his lethal weapons instantly, "Duo get up!" Wufei hissed, turning to the sleeping shifter. Duo, grumbling all the way, threw back his thin cover and reached for his clothes.

"What the hell is up now?" Duo asked, still bleary eyed.

"Would you just sound the damn alarm!" Wufei barked as he snapped back the tent flaps and stepped outside. Wufei felt a certain amount of relief when he saw that the rebels were already wide awake and running around. Wufei was pulling on his cloak when his eyes caught sight of Rei's familiar figure at the top of a far dune. Wufei felt his frown deepen until he saw the smudgy orange color of Rei's magic gathered in her fists. She was hurling balls of fire down at some unseen enemy without a breath of rest in-between.

Wufei's muscles began to tense as he continued to watch Rei fighting. He tried to relax them and save them for the battle but he couldn't stop himself. His feet had unconsciously turned him towards Rei and before he knew it he was running to her. His lungs hitched when he saw an arrow silently cut through the air like butter before plunging into Rei's exposed shoulder.

"No!" The word reverberated around Wufei. His calloused hands went to touch his traitorous lips in surprise. Wufei slowed to a complete stop and felt his mind lurch as the scene of the rebel camp and the desert came crashing back to Wufei. 'I do not have feelings for that simpleton.' Wufei couldn't help thinking to himself, reaffirming what he had felt earlier for Rei, which was nothing. Shaking his head to clear it of the picture of Rei's crumpling body, Wufei was about to turn straight back around and walk away but then he heard Rei's scream.

Gritting his teeth in anger Wufei twisted back around, 'Damn it Rei.' he thought brashly as he ran towards the fallen girl. It was then that the Hurda heard the roaring scream of the dragons. But Wufei could have cared less as he pushed past the panic stricken rebels to go and save Rei. The task seemed to fill him with more strength and speed with each forward step, filling him with the realization that his heart had already chosen what was more important for Wufei.

Outlined by the light of the torches, Wufei could see a man swinging his heavy sword up and above Rei's body. Wufei's magic coiled up like a spring, preparing itself for its master even though he had already lost hope of reaching Rei. She was too far away from him and it didn't seem like he was gaining any distance between them. The hulking body of Quatre's Dewolf suddenly leapt into Wufei's line of vision. The blotched-brown creature streaked up the dune faster than the wind and knocked the man to the ground with its body. Quatre's miniscule figure could be seen atop the back of the wolf as it scooped up the nearest group of soldiers in its jaws. The nearly translucent shield of magic that Quatre had around him and his Dewolf kept flaring with light as it was struck by hundreds of swords and arrows at the same time.

Later Wufei would realize that the soothing chill that had pumped through his blood would be relief. But at the moment all he could think about was how draining it must be for Quatre to sustain such a large shield around him and his Dewolf. The Asiatic Hurda was snatched from his thoughts and brought to a screeching halt when, in the distance, he heard a familiar scream. His head turned to see who could have made such a high-pitched sound, he was already dreading what his eyes would tell him. He easily spotted Usagi who had just come out of her grand tent. Her hands were held above her as a weak defense against the descending ball of flame.

Time came to a crushing stop as Wufei watched the mini sun come plunging down to the earth. The hot flames of the fireball reached out and wrapped around Usagi seconds before consuming her into its blazing mass. Wufei couldn't move an inch, his breath was coming out in ragged bursts. He suddenly became conscious of the fact that he had stretched out all of his magic to save Usagi, and all that was left of his tidal wave of magic was a glowing dome over her crumpled body. He had been too late, far too late to save her. The Hurda used his magic so that he could see Usagi's burned form quite clearly from where he was. His magic had partially saved the once-smiling girl but there was no doubt that she was dead. The gruesome red and white sores that covered Usagi's body oozed blood and pus. Her eyes were closed and her lungs were no longer filled with the breaths of life.

Wufei wiped the sweat from his brow and felt a blanket of complete and utter failure drape itself across his shoulders. The momentary feeling of failure was followed by a burning anger. Where were all the other Hurda's, where were Duo and Heero and Trowa. They had all helped to cause Usagi's death and it set Wufei's teeth on edge. The black-clad warrior stubbornly set his aching shoulders back so that he stood taller. Usagi had been the Hurda's last chance to obliterate OZ. 'Now,' Wufei thought, 'I might as well kill myself trying to destroy as much of OZ as I can.'

A piercing scream tore the silence of the night. Rebel soldiers turned to look upwards and were greeted by the sight of scaly bellies twisting and twining through the night air.

Wufei's eyes slowly lifted towards the skies to gaze upon Usagi's killers. Twenty or so of the dragons were circling above the camp, throwing down balls of flame that were as big as houses. Wufei let out a cry of anger and frustration as he drew his sword. An arrow came hissing through the air and narrowly missed Wufei's ear. Two more arrows flew through the air towards Wufei; they didn't even make it close to their target. Turning around, Wufei didn't even need to utter a word to send the arrows spinning backwards, straight into the owners' chests. Wufei let out a snarl of rage, his fangs glinted in the firelight. Soldiers were now pouring past Quatre and his Dewolf, fighting the pair only when they needed to.

The soldiers had realized that the Dewolf, which was practically bristling with arrows, and its master was no match for the pure number of soldiers that was there. So the OZ elite ignored the exhausted pair and streamed past to the battlefield.

Even from the distance Wufei could see the Dewolf continually trying to attack the soldiers who no longer paid attention. Quatre's body was no longer on top of his Dewolf, he had fallen sometime during the minute it had taken Wufei to see Usagi eaten by the ball of flame. Wufei's expert eyes were swift at picking out the stumbling form of Quatre. He was several feet from his Dewolf, dragging himself and Rei away from the soldiers as they surged around the lone wolf. Wufei used his magic to help him race across the sand to the bedraggled figure. He didn't care if he was using up all his energy just to race across the stupid sand to see how the pair were doing, it didn't matter anymore.

Quatre let out a moan as he collapsed onto the sand. His sweat was sticking to his forehead as he tried to drag Rei next to him. His ear was pressed to the sand as his body denied him the right to move, it was just too tired. The thudding of feet against the sand alerted Quatre. He wearily inched his face upwards so that he could see whose pounding feet were flying towards him. When he saw Wufei, Quatre couldn't help the sigh of satisfaction that escaped him. When Wufei finally had crossed the distance between him and Quatre he was disappointed to see how weary his friend was. Wufei yanked the concealing black cloth down from Quatre's face and was glad to at least see that he wasn't injured too much. "What happened?" Wufei rapped out.

Quatre let out a strangled laugh, "Didn't you see?" Quatre struggled for more air, Wufei gently eased the winding black cloth from Quatre's laboring throat.

"No," Wufei heard his voice soften slightly, "Usagi's dead Quatre."

Quatre pitched feebly upwards, "What? What're you talking about? I just left her with Heero!"

Wufei felt a pinprick of pity, "Usagi get hit by dragon fire, I saw her burned body afterwards, Quatre. She's dead..." Wufei's voice trailed away as the enormity of the event hit him yet again.

Quatre shook his head, refusing to believe, "It was someone else, it couldn't have been Usagi." Quatre peered desperately into Wufei's eyes before shoving him away in disgust. "Why don't you help Rei for a change while I go and find Usagi." Quatre stumbled to his feet.

Wufei glanced down and felt a grudging wave of comfort when he saw Rei's alert eyes on him.

"Go, you need to save her!" Rei mumbled as she clamped a hand onto her bleeding shoulder. Wufei ground his teeth before he reached forwards and slung Rei into his arms, "I can't just leave you out here." He said harshly. Turning to meet Quatre's eye Wufei tightened his hold on Rei, "I saw what I saw Quatre."

Quatre's eyes narrowed dangerously at the comment, "Shut up Wufei, you've been blind all your life so I don't expect you to have things suddenly in focus." The biting remark was so uncharacteristic, so unexpected from everyone, even Quatre, that the two stood in stunned silence for a moment. Then Wufei shook his head to clear it for a second time that night. "Don't let your pain get in the way." Wufei's voice was low, "The dragons aren't going to be under Orin's control for long, you better use the time I'm giving you wisely. I won't be able to hold back Orin's spell for long." Wufei proclaimed before he turned away from Quatre.

Quatre rubbed his grimy face and let loose a shaky breath. 'She's not dead.' Quatre said to himself. He whistled for his Dewolf, unsure of whether or not he really wanted to enter into the battle now. The Dewolf leapt clear of the line of soldiers and raced towards its master, glad to be free of the harrying job. Quatre pulled himself onto his Dewolf's back with shaking arms, "It's time to fight." Quatre said, goading the Dewolf forwards. The Dewolf threw back his head and howled to the sky before rocketing his body towards the battle. Blood and sand flew behind the Dewolf as his body stretched out and lowered itself to the sand. The world practically turned under the Dewolf's feet as he charged into the flaming battle scene.

Wufei ran several feet away from where he had met Quatre. He stopped at a dune that was safe from the main battle. He gently lowered Rei to the ground, his head twisting around so that he could keep the dragons in the corner of his eye. "What're you doing?" Rei asked weakly, "You need to go help Usagi or else OZ will never be defeated!" Rei murmured as she tried to shove Wufei away from her.

Wufei snorted, "_We_ are going to help her...if you help me."

Rei studied Wufei's face quizzically before she slowly extended her hand, "What do you need me to do?"

Wufei clasped hands with Rei, "I just need to borrow your magic."

Rei shrugged her shoulders, "Sure, I don't have a lot of it though."

Wufei took Rei's other hand in his; he knelt on the sand in front of Rei. "That doesn't matter." Wufei studied Rei's dirt streaked face, "Are you ready?" Rei could only nod her head, she had no idea what she was supposed to be ready for. "I guess so." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. Wufei lifted their clasped hands above his head and tilted his head back. Closing his eyes, Wufei wet his lips and began the spell.

A coal black dragon came to a whirling halt; he hovered in the sky as if frozen in place. The dragon's misted eyes began to clear and lose the film that had been placed there. The graceful serpentine neck reared up into the sky and surveyed the burning buildings below with a new interest. 'Wufei?' The dragon's voice rippled through the minds of the rebels until its voice finally came to his master. 'What has happened? Why am I here?' The dragon asked as it hovered in the sky, unperturbed by the scenes of murder below.

'You were tricked into coming here.' Wufei's voice came clearly into the dragon's mind, 'OZ's magus, Orin, was able to find the spell to control you."

The dragon let out a cloud of caustic smoke from his nostrils, if there was one thing that dragon's hated the most, it was being controlled. 'What shall I do?'

Down on the ground Wufei felt the frown on his face begin to ease away, 'Wake your brothers and sisters from this spell. Turn them against OZ...Arith, thank you.' Wufei's voice whispered softly, 'My cause is already lost though.'

The dragon's massive wings spread outwards like splayed fingers, 'I don't know about that, but I do know that I can break through this stupid magus's spell. You humans never understand the extent of our dragon magic.' Arith's swan-like neck bulged momentarily as a blue ball of magic worked its way up Arith's throat. The jet black claws twitched as he spit out the brilliant blue orb, it hung in the air like an enormous dewdrop before it burst into millions of sparkling lights. The shattering sound of the spell was like the keening scream of a harpy.

Quatre covered his ears when the scream reached him. It was like a pig squeal except a thousand times higher. Quatre could feel the shudder of discomfort from his Dewolf. Its ears were laid flat back against his head, trying to shut out the awful sound. The Hurda let his hands fall from his ears, feeling guilty. His Dewolf shouldn't have to suffer through all of this, it _was_ Quatre's job to go and save Usagi. "Stop," Quatre called out softly, "I'll go on from here, you can go." Quatre called out as he slid down from his Dewolf's back.

The Dewolf turned his great, big, furry head around to stare at his master. His ears launched upwards like springs at the words. 'I'm not leaving you here master, are you insane? You could be killed by one of those damn, conceited dragons.' The creature's eyes were wide with animosity, 'I'm not leaving you alone this time loner.'

Quatre frowned at the word, "I've been in worse situations, now leave me alone." Quatre snapped, he was getting to be more than irked by being called a loner. Because he wasn't, Quatre thought, he wanted to be with Usagi...loners just wanted to be alone, right?

The overgrown animal remained rooted to the spot, 'I know where my loyalties lie.' His amber eyes bore holes into Quatre.

Quatre's brows scrunched together in momentary confusion. He would have asked what the Dewolf exactly meant by that statement but his eyes had just found the glittering dome of magic that lay protectively over Usagi's prone form. Everything the Dewolf had said to him was erased from his mind as he exploded into motion. The Dewolf's eyes widened as he witnessed the crushing hold that love had on his master. The Dewolf was only a second behind Quatre who was plunging heedlessly into the heat of the battle. He was the one who would see the smiling arc of a dagger hurtling towards his master. Lunging forwards the Dewolf caught the glittering blade in his jaws and snapped it in half. Quatre jerked to a stop as bits of metal rained down from the Dewolf's jaws and onto him.

'I told you, I'm not leaving you alone.' The Dewolf's voice was like a roar in Quatre's mind, 'Now wake up, you were almost killed because you weren't paying attention to anything but that idiot girl.'

Quatre suddenly looked pale in the firelight. Closing his eyes the Hurda rubbed his face vigorously. He tried to wake up from the spell that Usagi had over him, he tried to at least think of something besides Usagi for a few seconds, but he could hardly do that then he could give up on eating. His hand reached forwards and stroked the muzzle of his Dewolf. "I know...I'm sorry."

The Dewolf gently nudged Quatre into the direction of Usagi, who lay only a few feet away from them. Quatre's fist tightened onto the coarse hairs of the Dewolf's coat. He began to walk forwards, regretting his every step. Burnt skin had turned into a crusted, but smooth mummy-like mask over Usagi's face. She was bare to the entire world and her long hair, which had been enough to turn heads, was completely gone. Quatre's stomach abruptly clenched in a spasm of horror as his eyes took in every detail of the girl he had fallen in love with. Quatre covered his mouth but couldn't stop his stomach from hurling out his bile. The Dewolf only flicked his ear towards the sounds of Quatre vomiting. He was more interested in the twinkling wall of magic that stood in front of him.

'Quatre, what do you think this shield is made of?'

"Why the hell are you asking me about that?" Quatre asked as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "Don't you see what's inside it?"

The Dewolf pressed his wet nose against the shield and felt an electric jolt shiver its way down his spine. Quatre jumped in surprise when he heard the muffled clatter of arrows falling away from the Dewolf's skin. "You're healed..." Quatre could hardly believe it, but as his hand passed over the Dewolf's furry coat he couldn't detect any open wounds. Quatre's heart began to pound a little faster. His eyes trailed to Usagi's prone form and he felt his heart nearly burst. "Usagi!"

His blood stained hands clenched into fists as he continued to stare at her motionless body. Taking deep breaths he grabbed a fist of his Dewolf's ruff to steady himself, "I'm going to save her. She still lives." Quatre whispered to himself. Slowly, Quatre extended his hand out towards the shield. Quatre's hand was only centimeters away from the magical wall and could feel the living heat of the magic. Releasing his Dewolf Quatre stepped forwards and pushed his hand through the wall. His mouth fell open and his lungs hitched up as his air was taken from him. Quatre's eyes slid closed and he tilted his head back to revel in the feeling. The feeling of thousands of tiny fibers of magic coursing through him, healing him, was like standing in a warm rain shower. And all he wanted to do was to melt away, to just let go of the feeling of sore muscles.

'Master!'

The cry jolted Quatre's quickly scattering mind back together. Quatre could suddenly see Usagi from every direction, he was surrounding her. It was then that Quatre realized that he was being pulled apart. Every atom of his being was being eased away from Quatre's body and he was fading to become a part of the warm, magical shield wall. Shaking his head Quatre pulled his body forwards. His body pitched forwards with him, coming together as he regained his mind. Quatre fell onto the sand on the inside of the dome. His eyes immediately landed on Usagi's shiny red and black blistered hand. Holding the contents of his stomach in Quatre took Usagi's hand in his.

He didn't think he would ever forget the smell or the feel of Usagi as she lay there, dead to the world, stinking of burning skin. Taking a hold of Usagi's limp body, Quatre gently pulled her up until she was right next to the wall of the dome. Unfolding her curled fingers, Quatre extended just the tip of her finger so that it touched the magic.

Blue lights crackled over the surface of the dome as it began to throb. The magic was being pulled into Usagi who was, to the spell, unfinished. Quatre's heart leapt into his throat as he watched Usagi's body begin to heal. Easing Usagi out of his arms Quatre unhooked his cloak from around his neck and nestled it around Usagi's body. But as Quatre continued to watch he didn't see Usagi's chest suddenly jerk upwards with air or with renewed life. She continued to lie still as a rock on the sand floor. The dome had become even more translucent and had become smaller as it continued to flood into Usagi's broken body.

Quatre glanced upwards in desperation, that's when he saw the misty outline of Usagi.

"Usagi!"

The shadowy figure turned its head to Quatre, he wondered how he couldn't have seen it before. But when the figure turned its face to Quatre he instantly knew that it wasn't Usagi who was hovering at the roof of the dome. The shadow had no features on its face, just empty space. Quatre's mouth fell open in wonder as a tiny bud of light began to blossom from the forehead of the shadow. Crystal facets began to spread outwards from the shadows forehead like a web. The apparition's legs and arms became iced in the smooth, translucent exterior of a crystal. And inside the crystalline figure hovered an elegantly dressed body; a beautiful, slumbering Usagi.

Quatre stared at Usagi's sleeping face with shock before he turned back to the empty crystal face, "Give her back." He whispered, his mouth had gone dry, "Please, give her back!"

The crystallized shadow parted its lips and pictures, words, filled Quatre's mind.

'She is _mine _now.'

Quatre rose into a standing position, his hand on his sword, "She will never be yours!" He yelled.

The shadow smiled, and extended its hands to Quatre, 'Let me help you understand.' It said, its voice was smooth as silk. Quatre felt his hands rise up of their own accord, and stretch towards the perfectly chiseled crystal hands. The shadow's smile grew wider when its fingers finally were able to wrap around Quatre's trembling hands. As soon as Quatre had touched the glassy fingers his mind had shut down as his life, his energy, was sucked out of him.

The Dewolf who still stood outside of the shrinking magical dome flicked his ears forwards when he saw his master fall to his knees. Quatre's hands were still clasped in the alluring shadow's hands as the very last dredges of his energy were being taken from him. The Dewolf lunged forwards, through the warm shower of magic, to land nearly on top of Quatre. Clamping his jaw onto Quatre's shoulder the Dewolf yanked his master away from the crystalline shadow. The Dewolf felt his hindquarters tense as the dome wall passed through his body and Quatre's.

The glittering dome grew smaller and smaller until it was completely absorbed by Usagi's body. The Dewolf crouched over his cold master's body to give him warmth, warily watching the shadow as it floated towards Usagi. The shadow began to lose its crystallized skin as it neared Usagi. Soon it was nothing more than a nearly translucent double of Usagi. The sleeping form of Usagi that had been locked inside of the crystalline figure was released and drifted slowly down until it melted into the perfectly healed body of the real Usagi. The Dewolf's eyes widened as the shadow forced itself and the milky image of Usagi into the fully healed body without a backward glance towards the Dewolf or Quatre.

Usagi's chest jumped upwards as air rushed into her lungs. Her chest began to rise up and down evenly, she was alive. The Dewolf glanced down at his motionless master and felt a whine make its way out of his throat. Nudging his master the Dewolf whined again, 'Wake up.' He kept saying, 'Wake up...'

I know, aren't I so nice for just ending it here? Well I did give you 26 pages just now so um...read over it again and enjoy the rough drafty ness of the chapter yet again...I was too lazy to proofread 26 pages just like I was EXTREMELY lazy for not updating earlier, I'm very, very, sorry for that...hopefully the next chapter will be out in the next few days, the next week at the longest. I hoped you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too boring. Toodles, Qt-Chan


	7. A New Beginning

Akbar~By Qt-chan

Chapter 7

"The rebels have been taken care of as you requested, Lord Orin." The wraith who had spoken was in the shape of a misty black orb. It hovered in the air, its shape rippling nervously. Orin was smiling widely at the news, everything was going according to his plan. He continued to flip through the voluminous book lying in front of him, "and what of the girl?" Orin's blind eyes looked towards the wraith as if with sight, waiting for an answer. The wraith's shrug resembled a quiver, "she is either dead or in hiding. From what the scouts have told me, there is no sign of her present in the rebel camps." Orin turned back to his book, "interesting…I wonder why she hides. It's of no consequence either way, not with what I have in mind." The magician's finger began to trace the script in the page. The wraith couldn't help but take note of Orin's actions, Orin glanced up. "Are you wondering how I am able to read this page, wraith?"

The wraith hovered closer towards Orin, "I always wonder how my lord completes the wonders that he does."

"The crystals heal all ills." Orin motioned to his blank eyes, "that was the initial purpose of this magic, to support and create new life, growth." Orin looked towards the page again, reading as he spoke, "this magic wants to be freed, hence your existence wraith."

"I don't understand my lord…we are the shadows of our former selves, holders of crystals for a period in time of our living lives before we passed into the next world. Now we are mere shells of what we were. You know this my lord, it is fact."

The magus waved an aloof hand, "You possessed a crystal during your living life and then passed, but," his grin became feral, "because you failed to do as the crystal truly wanted, what it _truly_ longs to do, which is to be freed of its physical constraints and work in the world as it naturally does, with no master. Thus, a part of you was ripped from your soul as it left earth as a sort of punishment…leaving you, wraith, to fill out the uncompleted task. Incapable of gaining power, of having form, and of resting with the rest of your soul until you finish your task." Orin snapped the book shut, "what you don't know wraith, is that you have the power to free yourself." The magus's eyes glowed, "you would no longer be under my power, or Heero's."

The wraith remained silent, curious to see what more Orin would say. Orin didn't elaborate any further though, "What of Heero Yuy? Have you done what I have asked wraith?" The magus' fist clenched in anticipation of the answer. The wraith, his body swaddled in shadows, trembled, "I have, master. I detailed the force of what they are to do."

"How long until our force reaches him?" Orin clasped his hands in his lap, settling back into his seat.

"An hour my lord. …they requested that you communicate your command to them directly before they act." The wraith waited, bobbing impatiently in the air. Orin thought for a moment, stroking his chin. "Wise…a good choice wraith, tell them to wait for my sign. They will know when I want them to move but," the wraith was pinned by Orin's gaze, "they must move quickly when I give the sign otherwise Heero will stop this effort of mine which is so crucial to my success. Is this understood?"

"Yes my lord." The wraith paused before continuing, "what did you mean by freedom, my lord?"

The ghost of a smile passed over Orin's face, "Heero is your true lord and master, even as I rule over your kind, is that not true?"

"Yes my lord, it is true." The wraith came closer, what did Orin know that he and all of the other wraiths did not?

"I am only able to hold all of you through my own power so long as it doesn't go against your true lord, he could take control of you if he wanted at any moment." Orin grimaced at the thought, "Heero Yuy has this power over you only because he holds a crystal bonded inside of himself, and you must do as the crystal wishes, which is also Heero's wish in this case. His bond with the crystal ensures that he is lord over all of you wraiths. After all, that is the purpose of your existence, wraith, to do as the crystal wishes, to help it revert back to its natural state."

"I know all this," a voice hissed. Orin and the wraith turned towards the voice. Another wraith had materialized in the room. It had the form of a rail-thin female, "I held the power of a crystal longer than this fool, the reason why I don't look like a stupid ball!" She spat. She swept back her hair and stalked forwards, her bony frame jutting at odd angles. The wraith pinned Orin with her menacing gaze, "I know wraith lore better than any other wraith, what information do you hope to bestow on this imbecile that I could not Orin?"

"I have discovered a way for your freedom, wraith, will you listen now?" Orin glared back at the wraith, "such insolence…a waste of my time," he hissed.

"Tell me." The wraith murmured, her eyes were like chips of coal, "this is a secret I'd like to know." She crossed her bony arms.

Orin grit his teeth, drumming his fingers in agitation against his desk. He would have loved to have just destroyed the wraith for her insolence. He would have been more than capable of doing it. He let the air from his lungs hiss out from between his lips, but…he needed the wraith so that he could succeed in his plot. "Heero," Orin started softly, "was able to bond his crystals to himself, as Usagi has done, and he is marked, just as Usagi is, from that bond. Once your soul is bonded to the crystal you and the crystal are one; what you want is what the crystal wants and vice versa. Your power is manifold what it was when the crystal was separate from you soul. That manifold power is the lure of bonding the crystal to your soul, if you can discover the means." Orin waved his hand and a glass of water materialized on the table, he reached for it and took a delicate sip. The two wraiths waited in silence, their attention focused wholly on Orin.

"Because Heero was able to bond the crystal to himself, Heero holds that inside of him now, even in his wraith form, the reason for why he has power over all wraiths. Heero and the crystal are one."

"So," the female wraith snapped, "stop repeating this over and over and over. I am not a fool! This means nothing you useless magus! Get to the point." The wraith found her airway suddenly constricted, she gasped. Orin tightened his invisible hold on her, "speak to me like that again wraith and I will make sure that you suffer." Orin waited a moment, enjoying the look of livid hatred and anguish on the wraith's face before he released her. Orin was forced to wrestle with his anger before he was able to continue, "Heero holds that crystal within himself and is a wraith, all you must do is free his crystal from his body. Break the union between it and his soul; By doing this, you have found a way to release a crystal back into its natural state and thus release yourself from a life as a wraith, subject to others' bidding. You have helped to restore a crystal to its natural state and you will be free to do as you wish."

The female wraith narrowed her eyes, "I don't believe it is that simple Orin. Why trade this existence, even though it is not even half of what it was when I was a whole being with a whole soul, for death? I enjoy causing mischief, why would I want to end my life completely and join my other dead half?"

"You know, as well as I do, that there is another world that transcends this place. The crystal tries to abide by those rules of the higher land, where it came from…you can join your soul there, dead to this world, or I can destroy all of you with one breath…and what is left of you, in the higher place, will languish and then perish. I can only imagine what your soul looks like now, in its weakened state as it waits for you to complete this simple, simple task." Orin leaned forwards, his lips looking as if they wanted to twist into ga smile, "and you know, because you are so knowledgeable, wraith, what happens when your soul can no longer stand to wait for you to rejoin it." Orin tapped to his head, "I know that you have seen it, happen right before your eyes."

Her willow frame shuddered, "Yes, I have the memory…a burning of a wraith's body. A living flame of agony for days and days…weeks even, until, someone decided to blow that flame out." Her intense gaze rested on Orin, "I see your point magus…die by fire or die by choice," she snorted, "clever." She fell silent for a moment, thinking about what she had just been told. "How do we release the crystal from Heero?"

Orin leaned closer, "the sign on his back is the key. Strike a blade through Auri-un and turn it as if you are turning a key. Turn your blade until you can turn no longer, and then the crystal should reveal itself." Orin drew the picture of the scene in the air, "all you have to do is separate the crystal from Heero's soul."

"How are we to do this though? All he has to do is utter a single word against us, a breath even, and he will be able to stop us." The female wraith hissed, "this is an impossible task."

"That is why I have sent a force of wraiths to complete this task instead of just one." Orin sat back and waited, would the wraiths take his bait? The question reverberated through his mind, making him tense. This part of his plan was essential, fundamental even, to cementing his power over OZ. The lean wraith abruptly shook her head in disagreement, "there is a catch. Once we are free we will no longer be under the power of anyone…why lose any army Orin? Why do this for us Orin?" The wraith's gaze was like a sneer. Orin's mind worked quickly, "the price may seem great to you wraith, but all of you are nothing compared to the combined power of Heero and that little desert simpleton." Orin appeared relaxed to the two wraiths, innocent even, to the two creatures. The orb-like wraith hovered uncertainly in the air, waiting for its counterparts answer. It was true that she knew wraith lore better than all the other wraiths, so he waited. She would know if Orin was pulling some sort of scam. It tensed when he saw the wraith raise her head and direct her gaze to Orin. "I know it was no mistake that you summoned me here Orin at this time…so that I could eavesdrop on this little conversation." There was a beat of silence before she continued, "I think you know my answer to this question though, magus." Orin's expression remained remote, "I predicted as much from you."

Sorry…kinda left it at a cliff hanger, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm working on this story ACTIVELY again until I finish it!! Lol…sorry for the long, LONG wait. – qt~chan


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